James O’Keefe Out At Project Veritas

Project Veritas founder and CEO James O’Keefe is exiting the organization.

O’Keefe announced to his staff Monday that he was leaving over a conflict in vision between himself and the board in an poignant 15-minute video.

“Throughout my 13 years doing this my mission has evolved,” O’Keefe said in his announcement.

“Over the last few weeks I have felt a lot of despair and seen a lot of evil and felt overcome with various emotions.”

A clearly emotional O’Keefe expressed gratitude for his employees, but noted that:

“The external threats and pressure inflicted upon myself has been unimaginable,” O’Keefe continued.

Employees had been dissatisfied by O’Keefe’s management and alleged he wasted money and was “outright cruel” to his staff, according to the The Daily Beast.

Speculation has been rampant about the timing of this debacle as O’Keefe points out:

“A few days after the Pfizer story, I was informed by an officer of Project Veritas that he would resign unless I step down as CEO. We’ve been having a conflict of vision over fundraising, there were tactical disagreements about the boldness of approach soliciting donations.”

As The Epoch Times’ Zachary Stieber reports, O’Keefe said he confronted one executive at a meeting on Feb. 2 and said that if the person would not follow his lead, he would have to exit the group.

O’Keefe then fired the man.

Later that same day, a different officer informed O’Keefe he was going to the Project Veritas board to restructure the company.

O’Keefe said he received an agenda for the board meeting as he was set to depart on a flight, and that the meeting was scheduled for the moment he was due to land.

“It became clear to me in that moment [that] I would be removed from my position at Project Veritas,” O’Keefe said.

Project Veritas did not pick up the phone or respond to requests for comment.

O’Keefe, who started Project Veritas in 2010, said he’s not finished.

He said that “the mission continues” but will “perhaps take on a new name.”

“I’ll make sure you know how to find me,” he told Project Veritas employees. “I hope to see some of you soon.”

R.C. Maxwell, a Project Veritas employee and an O’Keefe ally, wrote on Twitter that O’Keefe “was removed from his position as CEO by the Project Veritas board.”

“They are in charge now,” Maxwell said.

O’Keefe said he has been suspended “indefinitely without compensation,” citing a board memo.

“I don’t know why this has happened or specifically why this has happened suddenly,” O’Keefe continued, adding he has “documentation” of everything.

The board has not yet issued a new statement.