In Project Veritas Action’s undercover investigation into Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, James O’Keefe claims Hillary’s top campaign advisors violated FEC laws.
Filmed during Hillary’s campaign kick-off event, the video captures two senior Clinton campaign staffers allowing a Canadian citizen pay for campaign swag by giving her money to an American citizen.
To their credit, the staffers recognized receiving donations from anyone who is not an American citizen was in direct violation of FEC laws, and said as much.
When PVA’s undercover reporter asked if she could take the Canadian woman’s money and use it to make the purchase herself, the senior staffers agreed.
Tuesday, O’Keefe held a press conference to discuss PVA’s latest undercover video. According to the New York Times:
Although the American happened to be one of Project Veritas’s staff members who used a fake name, Mr. O’Keefe made the case that the video showed a willingness by the campaign to skirt laws that forbid taking donations from foreigners by using a conduit. The transaction amounted to $75, and Project Veritas has asked Mrs. Clinton’s campaign to refund the money.“They have demonstrated a willingness to contravene the law,” Mr. O’Keefe said….While Mrs. Clinton’s campaign denied breaking any laws, Mr. O’Keefe and his lawyer, Benjamin Barr, acknowledged that Project Veritas did act illegally by facilitating such a donation but that the infraction on their part was so minor that it was akin to jaywalking.Although campaign finance violations are a serious issue, Mr. O’Keefe’s presentation drew some snickers from the reporters that Project Veritas had convened for the event. He struggled to justify breaking laws and using fake names to find wrongdoing, and at one point Mr. O’Keefe was asked pointedly, “Is this a joke?”Brushing the question off as ridicule, Mr. O’Keefe maintained that the organization was acting for the greater good to shine a light on corruption in politics and that more videos would be trickling out from its team of investigators who are spread across the country and infiltrating campaigns. Claiming not to be partisan, he said that Republican candidates should be ready, too.“We are going to create an army of exposers,” Mr. O’Keefe said. “We’ve got more.”
The FEC has not provided comment and Clinton’s campaign denies any wrong doing.
Follow Kemberlee Kaye on Twitter @kemberleekaye
Author’s Note: The Author worked with James O’Keefe and Project Veritas as an Investigator and Project Manager in years past.
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