An emotional James O’Keefe mentioned Monday that he has left Undertaking Veritas, the undercover journalism outfit he based and led for 13 years, after being successfully compelled out by the board of administrators amid behind-the-scenes strife.
Mr. O’Keefe mentioned he known as for the nonprofit communications firm’s board to resign after members stripped him two weeks in the past of his authority as CEO, eliminated him from the board and positioned him on go away over allegations of mismanagement and mistreatment of workers.
“I used to be requested to be gone till the twentieth. It’s now the twentieth,” Mr. O’Keefe mentioned in a 45-minute video filmed at his workplace that was posted on-line. “I requested the board to resign for his or her conduct and they didn’t. So at present I’ve no job at Undertaking Veritas. I’ve no place right here primarily based upon what the board has completed.”
He choked up as he introduced: “I’m packing up my private issues — sorry, I’m getting emotional — from headquarters, and I’m intending to start out anew.”
His departure throws into doubt the way forward for Undertaking Veritas, the irreverent guerrilla journalism outlet identified for its hidden-camera video stings in opposition to sometimes left-of-center targets, together with political campaigns, lecturers’ unions, liberal media retailers, and most not too long ago, the pharmaceutical large Pfizer.
Mr. O’Keefe mentioned that the hassle to oust him started shortly after Undertaking Veritas launched what he described as its greatest story ever, undercover footage of a Pfizer govt revealing the corporate’s inside discussions about plans for future COVID-19 vaccines.
The hashtag #NoJames trended Monday after his announcement as O’Keefe followers posted tweets alongside the traces of “No James, no Undertaking Veritas.”
“James O’Keefe out at Undertaking Veritas is yet one more instance of how proper media and the donor class have a deep intolerance for artistic genius,” tweeted Ben Domenech, The Spectator editor-at-large. “If Andrew Breitbart had lived, they’d have discovered a method to ditch him, too.”
Watch the total size video of James O’Keefe’s speech to the journalists at Undertaking Veritas. He was eliminated by the board of administrators in a coup. The video is extremely heartfelt and sincere and exposes the dishonesty of the group’s new heads. pic.twitter.com/2tDkPP3j3S
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 20, 2023
The inner turmoil that led to Mr. O’Keefe’s departure erupted three weeks in the past when some workers members went to administration with “verbal suggestions describing actual administration considerations relating to the therapy of individuals and our inside processes,” in response to a Feb. 15 assertion by Undertaking Veritas Government Director Daniel Strack.
“That prompted the board to solicit suggestions from extra workers members, and that inside letter was leaked,” he mentioned.
He referred to an 11-page doc with testimonials from about 16 workers members accusing Mr. O’Keefe of alienating workers and donors together with his conduct.
The feedback included “James has turn out to be an influence drunk tyrant,” and “Rule #1: You may’t spit in an worker’s face over a tweet. True story,” as reported by the Every day Beast. New York Journal broke the story.
One remark accused Mr. O’Keefe of taking a pregnant lady’s sandwich throughout a 2022 jury trial over the group’s undercover probe into the political consulting group Democracy Companions.
“I used to be yelled at in entrance of jurors as a result of he was hungry after which he took the 8-month pregnant lady’s sandwich,” mentioned the remark.
Mr. Strack responded to the studies by saying that the board of administrators and administration are “always evaluating what one of the best path ahead is for the group” with out giving particulars about Mr. O’Keefe’s employment standing.
“There are 65+ workers at Undertaking Veritas devoted to persevering with the mission to reveal corruption, dishonesty, waste, fraud, and different misconduct in each private and non-private establishments,” the assertion mentioned. “To our supporters: We hear you, we care about you, and we are going to by no means hand over.”
Within the Monday video, Mr. O’Keefe mentioned he was advised to take two weeks’ go away after a six-and-a-half board assembly that included some donors and workers that he described as a “itemizing of grievances” about his administration model, his journey and even “ladies I’ve dated up to now.”
He mentioned he provided to ship an apology letter “for my tone of voice within the workplace on the management assembly the week earlier than,” however that the board refused to simply accept his apology.
Mr. O’Keefe acknowledged that “I’m a tough man to work for generally,” saying that he logged 80-hour work weeks for greater than a decade to construct Undertaking Veritas, however that he has by no means requested his workers to do something that he himself has not completed or wouldn’t do.
“As a former board member advised me 10 years in the past, Undertaking Veritas won’t ever be stopped from the surface. It’s going to solely be as a result of we stopped ourselves,” Mr. O’Keefe mentioned. “Prophetic as it might be, that’s precisely the place we discover ourselves on this state of affairs right this moment.”
Primarily based in Mamaroneck, New York, Undertaking Veritas raised $22 million in 2020, almost doubling the $12 million collected in 2019.
