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An emotional James O’Keefe said Monday that he has left Project Veritas, the undercover journalism outfit he founded and led for 13 years, after being effectively forced out by the board of directors amid behind-the-scenes strife.
Mr. O’Keefe said he called for the nonprofit communications company’s board to resign after members stripped him two weeks ago of his authority as CEO, removed him from the board and placed him on leave over allegations of mismanagement and mistreatment of staff.
“I was asked to be gone until the 20th. It is now the 20th,” Mr. O’Keefe said in a 45-minute video filmed at his office that was posted online. “I asked the board to resign for their conduct and they did not. So currently I have no job at Project Veritas. I have no position here based upon what the board has done.”
He choked up as he announced: “I’m packing up my personal things — sorry, I’m getting emotional — from headquarters, and I’m intending to start anew.”
His departure throws into doubt the future of Project Veritas, the irreverent guerrilla journalism outlet known for its hidden-camera video stings against typically left-of-center targets, including political campaigns, teachers’ unions, liberal media outlets, and most recently, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Mr. O’Keefe said that the effort to oust him began shortly after Project Veritas released what he described as its biggest story ever, undercover footage of a Pfizer executive revealing the company’s internal discussions about plans for future COVID-19 vaccines.
The hashtag #NoJames trended Monday after his announcement as O’Keefe fans posted tweets along the lines of “No James, no Project Veritas.
