James O'Keefe charged with unlawful voting, identity theft
The gist
Hennepin County prosecutors charged conservative activist James O'Keefe and Cam Higby with felony unlawful voting and identity theft.
The charges land days before the November 3 midterms, testing how far undercover election stunts can go.
How it unfolded
- Aug 11, 2026O'Keefe and Higby entered polling places in Hennepin County during Minnesota's state primary and identified themselves using names of registered voters in those precincts without those voters' knowledge or permission.
- Aug 2026The pair posted videos of the hidden-camera polling-place interactions on social media; O'Keefe said they dressed in "Muslim garb" including a niqab to "expose the sheer lunacy of Minnesota's 'vouching' system."
- Aug 2026Secretary of State Steve Simon issued a statement saying the group's "apparent goal was to cast doubt on one or more Minnesota election laws that have been in force for over fifty years."