FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul alleges: Conservative influencer charged over Minnesota vote-vouching video

FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul covers the felony charges filed against two conservative media influencers following their undercover operation at Minneapolis polling places during the August primary election. According to the station, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charged James O’Keefe and Cam Higby with felony counts of unlawful voting and identity theft.

FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul reports that the two men posted a video of their encounters with poll workers in which they allegedly dressed in costume and visited several Minneapolis polling sites, including schools. According to the station, prosecutors allege O’Keefe and Higby disguised themselves and used the identities of actual registered voters without their permission, crossing the line into felony identity theft.

The video documents the men’s stated purpose: testing Minnesota’s election day vouching system, which FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul explains allows a registered voter to sign a legal oath confirming the address of a neighbor who isn’t registered yet so they can cast a ballot. Minnesota law allows a voter to vouch for up to eight others. In the video, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul shows footage of the men providing names of registered voters in precincts but, according to court documents cited by the station, never signing an oath and never casting a ballot.

According to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty concluded their actions in August were felony crimes. The station quotes Moriarty stating that there is no such thing as undercover investigation in a polling place without identifying oneself as a journalist, which she alleges the men did not do. FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul reports that Moriarty’s team emphasized the fundamental issue: the men allegedly cannot go into a polling place and misidentify themselves, use other people’s identities, and tell that to election judges, whether or not they intend to vote.

FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul notes that while Higby took to social media on Wednesday to call himself and his partner journalists exposing corruption, he later stated through his verified account on X that he never voted, never signed an affidavit, and never violated a law. According to the station, Higby claimed the investigation was conducted to expose vulnerabilities in the Minnesota voting system.

FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul reports that the two men live out of state and are not in custody, with first appearances in Hennepin County District Court scheduled for November 16th. The charges represent a significant legal challenge to the men’s stated investigative purpose, with prosecutors alleging their methods violated Minnesota election law regardless of whether ballots were actually cast.

In FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Own Words

“If you identify as a journalist, there is no such thing as undercover investigation in the polling place. You have to identify yourself as a journalist in the polling place, which they did not do.”

“The fundamental issue here is you cannot go into a polling place and misidentify yourself and use other people’s identity and say that to our election judges.”

“This investigation was conducted to expose vulnerabilities in the Minnesota voting system, which affects all Americans. I never voted, I never signed an affidavit, and I never violated a law.”