Embattled far-right 'gotcha' group Project Veritas fights for survival post-O'Keefe

23 August 2023

2023 has been a rough year for Project Veritas, a far-right group known for its "gotcha" tactics and campaigns against mainstream media outlets and liberal and progressive organizations.

Plagued by financial problems, Veritas recently laid off 25 of its employees, according to the Daily Beast. And Veritas CEO Hannah Giles isn't shy about claiming that founder James O'Keefe left the company in bad shape when he departed earlier this year.

In an article published on August 23, the Daily Beast's Kelly Weill details Veritas' problems and the steps it has been taking to keep from going out of business. The "cost-cutting measures" that Veritas is considering, according to Weill, include "going fully remote and bringing in an outside firm to produce its content."

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"By the time of his departure," Weill explains, "O'Keefe had become controversial within Project Veritas, with some employees accusing him of being 'a power-drunk tyrant' who allegedly squandered company funds on lavish personal expenses. After the layoffs — which employees previously characterized as slashing Project Veritas from 43 to 18 staffers — the company is seeking a profitable path forward, according to sources. And it won't be easy, management has suggested in a recent conversation."

Giles spoke candidly about Veritas' financial problems during a Tuesday, August 22 interview, although she was unclear about whether Veritas will outsource production of its content.

Giles told the Beast, "Project Veritas is in a tough situation. It was made tough by O'Keefe leaving, and made doubly challenging by mismanagement before I was hired. I wish we could have kept everyone on and grown the organization, but I've been put in the situation where I have to cut and refocus so we can get to growth. I'm not going to fight in the press over complaints from laid off staffers, I'm going to keep doing the work to rebuild this organization from the mess it was left in."

Weill notes that Veritas is suing O'Keefe for alleged financial mismanagement and for allegedly using Veritas' "donor list to solicit funds for a rival media group after his departure this year." According to Weill, Veritas has accused O'Keefe "of spending company funds on dubious personal expenses like chartered cars, helicopter flights, and musical theater productions."

Read the Daily Beast's full report at this link (subscription required).

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