(NewsReady.com) – Project Veritas is one of the most controversial organizations in politics. The group, founded by James O’Keefe in 2010, uses undercover methods to try to root out corruption in progressive organizations, media companies, Democratic campaigns, and some businesses. Recently, the founder was pushed out of the nonprofit by its board. However, that doesn’t mean he’s finished advocating for causes he believes are important.
On February 20, O’Keefe announced the Project Veritas board stripped him of his position in the company. Before leaving, he spoke to the staff at the organization. He told them he’d felt despair over the last few weeks during the turmoil within Project Veritas. O’Keefe said the people working at the organization made him feel gratitude.
At the end of his remarks, O’Keefe said he is “not done” and is thinking about continuing the mission of Project Veritas under a new name. He told them he will need people around him to help make that happen and promised to let them know how to get ahold of him.
Since it’s already out there, here are my heartfelt remarks to my staff this morning.
I need to make clear I have not resigned from the company, Project Veritas, I founded 13 years ago. I was stripped of my position as CEO and Chairman.
I came to the PV pic.twitter.com/NwHivwR1EM… https://t.co/X1lKCnwuif
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 21, 2023
An exclusive report in The Washington Post alleges the board of directors took action because its members believed O’Keefe was going to cost them their status under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The status allows the group to avoid paying taxes, but it is not allowed to engage in politics or do anything that serves the interest of private entities.
Board members wrote a memo claiming the reason donors give them money is due, in part, to the tax break they get for it. If they were to lose that nonprofit tax status because they were engaging in political activity, the memo warned, “the organization folds, and with it [goes its] employees.”
The founder of Project Veritas also faced accusations of using the organization’s funds on personal expenses like cars and private jets. Employees accused O’Keefe of treating them poorly.
O’Keefe didn’t give a timeline for when he intends to get the new entity up and running.
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