US conservative activists charged with unlawful voting in election stunt
Prosecutors alleged the pair misrepresented their identities by giving election judges the names of other people.
US conservative activists charged over unlawful voting election stunt
James O'Keefe, founder of Project Veritas, and fellow conservative activist Cam Higby have been charged with unlawful voting and identity theft, prosecutors said.
Two conservative activists who carried out an undercover stunt at a Minnesota polling place have been accused of unlawful voting and identity theft, according to prosecutors.
James Edward O'Keefe and Cam Higby are alleged to have tried to cast doubt on the state's voting systems after posting a video showing them wearing Islamic clothing and using fake accents while speaking with poll workers.
Prosecutors say the pair falsely identified themselves by giving election judges the names of registered voters in the precinct without those voters' knowledge or consent.
Higby told the BBC that he wanted to "expose vulnerabilities" in the voting system and claimed the state is now trying to strip him of his right to vote.
"This investigation was conducted to expose vulnerabilities in the Minnesota voting system, which affects all Americans," said Higby, a 26-year-old political commentator.
"I never voted, I never signed an affidavit, and I never violated a law," he added. "For showing how Minnesota abuses votes, they seek to take mine away from me permanently."
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office confirmed that neither man signed the required oath to verify their address. Prosecutors, however, said both men "intentionally" misrepresented who they were when requesting ballots.
Unlawful voting and identity theft are felony offenses.
In the recorded episode from August, the provocateurs were trying to draw attention to a Minnesota law, external that lets registered voters vouch for the identity and address of up to eight people.
That law is meant to help people who have recently moved to the state vote, not to impersonate other registered voters.
At the time, Higby captioned the video: "I dressed as a Muslim woman and Minneapolis poll workers were prepared to allow me and an army of other foreigners to fraudulently vote without verifying who any of us are."
State law says no person may intentionally misrepresent their identity when applying for a ballot, placing a ballot in a ballot box, or trying to vote using a voting machine or electronic voting system.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, the state's chief election officer, said in a statement on Wednesday that "any attempt to disrupt or deceive our election workers will not be tolerated".
He added, "Polling places are the heart of our democracy and should be places of safety and peace."
It was not immediately known when O'Keefe and Higby are scheduled to appear in court.
O'Keefe, 42, founded Project Veritas, a right-wing activist group and media company that says it investigates and exposes corruption. The group is known for secretly recorded encounters. After being removed from Project Veritas, he launched O'Keefe Media Group.