Leaked Email Exposes New Project Veritas Leadership Begging Donors to Continue Funding Org After the Departure of James O’Keefe
Jose Nino
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According to an email that The Post Millennial obtained, Project Veritas called on donors to stay with the organization despite its founder and CEO James O’Keefe being pushed out in a de facto coup orchestrated by the board of directors. As Libby Emmons and Jack Posobiec of The Post Millennial observed, “Project Veritas is a not-for-profit operating entirely on the generosity of donors.”
“We hope that you might continue to give us a chance,” the email stated. “We can’t stress how separate the board’s role is from daily operations here at PV. We are still grinding and pursuing stories of great public importance.”
The email was authored by Bethany Rolando, who was one of the 16 signers of a letter sent to the Board of Directors citing personal grievances against O’Keefe. The subject line of the email was “Update: We hold everyone accountable, especially ourselves.”
“We understand and share your frustrations,” the email stated. “We all love and respect James and hope he returns. This is difficult for everyone.”
The email highlighted that “an independent two-dimensional audit is being arranged” to verify if financial malfeasances have occurred, and if O’Keefe had not complied with administrative procedure.
These issues consist of “Breaking the Bylaws of the organization by unilaterally dismissing the CFO and co-opting another board member’s vote by saying that board member supported the dismissal,” calling attention to how this second Board member “did not.”
One of the grievances spelled out in the letter by the 16 staffers was that O’Keefe had fired the CFO without proper board overing. “Most recently,” that letter stated, “the treatment of Barry Hinckley and Tom O’Hara. These 2 highly respected individuals did what they thought was right for the betterment of the organization and got berated in public on Tuesday and effectively terminated by Thursday.”
Other statements also mentioned how professional relationships had apparently broken down between O’Keefe and others. One particular instance that was cited in the letter was when O’Keefe allegedly called Spencer Meads a “pussy.”
On top of that, the email to donors mentioned how an audit was conducted to determine if O’Keefe used “donations for private benefit.” In a statement released by the board on February 20, there were several concerns about O’Keefe’s spending. Several of these concerns were staff morale and what the board alleges were excessive levels of spending.
“The board included this in its statement of what it is aware of so far which clearly warrants this internal audit to ensure your hard-earned, and graciously donated, money is utilized appropriately.” The email said that members of the board “hope to know more details around this soon.”
The email also highlighted concerns “with employment laws/workplaces safety regarding appropriate treatment of the employees was based, in part, on his interaction with senior staff in a Leadership call on January 31, 2023.”
O’Keefe responded to the board’s message, by penning his letter, calling on the Board to resign.
“I asked the board to resign for their conduct– they did not. So currently, I have no position at PV based on the board’s actions. So, I’m announcing to you all that today on President’s day — I’m packing up my personal effects from headquarters, and I’m intending to start anew,” O’Keefe remarked.
“The board placed him on a temporary suspension until the audit was completed,” the email noted. “The board wanted him to delegate management of staff to the department heads so he can focus his true talent, efforts, and best use of his time on the journalism/stories and less on the day-to-day personnel management.”
“He has been invited, but has chosen not to, engage in conversations with the board and management following steps taken so far with the goal of returning to Project Veritas.”
“Instead,” the email continued, “he requested no change in authority and that most of the officers and all of the board of directors immediately resign.”
Project Veritas re-assured its donors that the organization is still “passionately dedicated to James’ mission,” and that they “cannot control online narratives, and unfortunately cannot chime in to individually defend ourselves in the public sphere at present, we can sure you.” He continued, “we remain steadfast and determined to expose corruption.”
The Project Veritas episode shows how even among the conservative movement there’s tons of political intrigue and shenanigans going down. Nationalists should take note and make sure their organizations are staffed with loyalists and people who are committed to the cause, instead of grifters, opportunists, and manipulators that are in it for themselves and not the organization’s mission.
Sometimes the biggest enemies come from within and are not on the Left.
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