Minneapolis Election Stunt: Two Men Face Five-Year Charges

Each of two men faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine following the announcement of election-related charges in Minnesota. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty filed the counts against James O'Keefe and Cam Higby on Wednesday. The charges stem from an undercover video they released in August.

The timeline of the alleged incident began in August when the pair posted footage titled "I Wore Burqa To EXPOSE Election FRAUD In Minneapolis." In the video, O'Keefe, who describes himself as a guerilla journalist, and Higby, a social media influencer, appear at multiple voting precincts in Minneapolis. They wore burqas and spoke with fake accents. Their stated goal was to expose gaps in state rules that allow residents to vouch for the identity of other voters. The video remains pinned on Higby's X account.

Prosecutors allege that the men deceived election judges by using the identities of real Minnesota voters without those voters' knowledge or permission. This conduct violated state law, leading to one count of unlawful voting and one count of identity theft for each man. No ballots were actually cast during their visits to the polling places. According to the charging documents, neither man is currently in custody.

Mary Moriarty stated that elections are the bedrock of democracy and that protection is a top priority. She said, "Individuals engaging in unlawful conduct related to our elections will be held accountable." Steve Simon, the state's top election official, added that any attempt to disrupt or deceive election workers will not be tolerated.

O'Keefe responded to the news by calling the charges "weaponized lawfare." He defended his actions as journalism protected by the Constitution and vowed to fight the case. "This is not political," O'Keefe said. "It is fundamental. It is about whether citizens still have the right to question their government." Higby posted on X that no laws were broken and that authorities want him in prison for exposing vulnerabilities.

This is not O'Keefe's first legal trouble. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in Louisiana for entering a federal property under false pretenses. He had posed as a telephone repairman to enter a U.S. senator's office in New Orleans. O'Keefe did not immediately respond to a new request for comment on the Minnesota charges.

The case will proceed through the Hennepin County court system. The defendants are scheduled to appear before a judge as part of the standard pre-trial process for these misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor counts. The specific dates for those hearings were set by the county attorney's office.