Conservative Journalists James O'Keefe and Cam Higby Indicted in Minnesota After Exposing Election System in Undercover Video
Conservative journalists James O’Keefe and Cam Higby face felony charges in Minnesota after filming themselves attempting to test the state’s voter vouching process during the August primary.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the charges Wednesday. She accused O’Keefe and Higby of entering polling places on Aug. 11 and identifying themselves with the names of registered voters in the area, without the knowledge or permission of those voters.
This video caused Minnesota to charge me with a felony.
Watch it, they’re afraid of it.
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) October 28, 2026
Both face counts of unlawful voting and identity theft.
Moriarty said neither man signed the required oath or cast a ballot, but Minnesota law prohibits intentionally misrepresenting one’s identity when applying for a ballot.
NBC News reported the details of the announcement.
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O’Keefe and Higby had posted videos of the encounters online.
In the footage, they appeared in what O’Keefe described as “Muslim garb,” including a full-face covering, and asked election workers about vouching rules.
CAUGHT INSIDE MINNEAPOLIS POLLING BOOTHS: Minnesota Poll Workers Tell O’Keefe, Dressed in Muslim Garb, & @camhigby, in a Burka, That They Can Vouch for Eight Unregistered Voters Without ID, Allowing Them to Vote in Minnesota Primary Election
Election worker says, “You’re the ID,” referring to the registered voter serving as identification for the people they are vouching for.
Election worker confirms O’Keefe’s question about unregistered voters being vouched for: “I can vouch for them. They are not registered… That’s okay. That’s fine. Yeah!”
Election worker explains that a registered voter in the same precinct can vouch for up to eight people: “If you’re all in the same precinct and you are already registered, you can vouch for them as ID. Eight people.”
More reports coming soon from the Justice League. @realmuckraker @anthonyjrubin @camhigby @ctznjusticelg
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) August 13, 2026
🚨🚨 “NO ID REQUIRED for you and your 8 friends”
I dressed as a Muslim woman and Minneapolis poll workers were prepared to allow me an an army of other foreigners fraudulently vote without verifying who any of us are.
Full video: https://t.co/iR5R27mrzO https://t.co/KvPryesHfn
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) August 14, 2026
Minnesota law allows a registered voter in the same precinct to vouch for up to eight others.
The journalists said the exercise was meant to demonstrate vulnerabilities in the system. Moriarty’s office said the videos were intended to undermine confidence in the state’s elections.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a news release that O’Keefe, 42, and Higby, 26, visited multiple precincts and used names of both living and deceased registered voters.
“Elections are the bedrock of democracy and their protection is one of our highest priorities,” Moriarty said.
“Individuals engaging in unlawful conduct related to our elections will be held accountable.”
The pair will be issued summonses to appear; they are not currently in custody. A first court date is scheduled for mid-November.
Nick Sortor posted on X that the charges amount to lawfare against journalists who exposed how the vouching system operates. He noted that neither man voted, and that Higby wore a face covering to test whether election workers would allow the process to continue with minimal questions.
🚨 BREAKING: Journalists James O’Keefe and Cam Higby have been hit with TWO FELONY CHARGES in Minneapolis for their video EXPOSING vulnerabilities in Minnesota’s elections
This is TOTAL LAWFARE!
@camhigby walked in wearing a burqa to show they’d let him vote with a WOMAN’S name with NO questions asked, and he could even “vouch” for some other unregistered “Muslim” (who was @JamesOKeefeIII in a costume)
NEITHER of them voted.
The charges include felony unlawful voting and identity theft.
It’s a WITCH HUNT to try to SCARE OFF conservative journalists, and nothing more.
DO NOT BE DETERRED! https://t.co/UTAlbGwKJ9
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 28, 2026
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon previously said the videos revealed “ignorance of how those laws actually work” while placing the participants in legal jeopardy.
O’Keefe has not yet publicly commented in detail since the charges were filed, but Higby has published multiple posts on X.
“This video caused Minnesota to charge me with a felony,” he said in one.
“Watch it, they’re afraid of it.”
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