Hannah Giles has resigned as CEO of Project Veritas after taking over in June from James O’Keefe, saying that the guerrilla journalism outfit has become an “unsalvageable mess.”
“I am stepping down from all roles with Project Veritas and Project Veritas Action — effective immediately,” said Ms. Giles in a Monday post on X. “Though I had high hopes when I joined the organizations, I stepped into an unsalvageable mess — one wrought with strong evidence of past illegality and past financial improprieties.”
Ms. Giles said she has contacted law enforcement about possible financial wrongdoing.
“Once such evidence was discovered, I brought the information to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Thank you,” she said.
Ms. Giles was considered a potential savior when she took over after Mr. O’Keefe was forced out in February, because of her longtime association with both the group and Mr. O’Keefe.
She played a prostitute to Mr. O’Keefe’s pimp in their sensational 2009 sting operation against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN.
Project Veritas was founded a year later.
Ms. Giles oversaw mass layoffs at the New York-based media outlet in August, calling them a “difficult, but necessary, decision to maintain the long-term sustainability of Project Veritas after six months of false narratives.”
— Hannah Giles (@HannahMGiles) December 11, 2023
In May, Project Veritas sued Mr. O’Keefe, accusing him of breach of contract by engaging “in a campaign to disparage Project Veritas to its donors and solicit them to donate to OMG,” referring to the O’Keefe Media Group, his new outlet.
The Westchester County district attorney’s office confirmed in August that it is investigating Mr. O’Keefe, who was accused by the Project Veritas board of “financial malfeasance” for excessive spending on “personal luxuries.”
Despite the split, both Project Veritas and Mr. O’Keefe have continued to pursue undercover investigative journalism.
“December 2023, heading into a wild 2024,” Mr. O’Keefe said Dec. 2 on X. “There’s no other time or place in history than I’d rather be, right here doing what I’m doing. What a time to be alive, what an opportunity to make a difference.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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