Judge Says O'Keefe's Project Veritas Is 'Political Spying'

[Jilly_in_VA]

A federal judge has dealt conservative figure James O’Keefe a legal blow, ruling that his group’s undercover operations against a Democratic consulting firm can fairly be described at an upcoming million-dollar trial as “political spying.”

Making matters worse for the right-wing star, the judge cited O’Keefe’s own book as evidence against him.

In 2016, Allison Maass, an operative for O’Keefe’s Project Veritas group, took an internship at Democratic firm Democracy Partners under a fake name. While staffers at the firm thought Maass was working to elect Democrats in the 2016 campaign, she was secretly recording them and relaying undercover video and notes on the group to Project Veritas. Project Veritas eventually released the video, prompting Democracy Partners founder Robert Creamer to “step back” from the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Creamer and Democracy Partners sued Project Veritas in 2017 over the sting. Now, with the trial set for December, O’Keefe’s lawyers wanted to preemptively prevent the plaintiffs’ lawyers from describing Project Veritas’s work in court as “political spying.”

In an Oct. 14 court opinion, though, U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled that it’s reasonable to describe O’Keefe’s group’s actions in that way.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-rules-james-okeefes-project-veritas-is-political-spying?ref=home
______________________________________________________
About damn time, I'd say!

[lagomorph777]

1. More like political lying.

O'Keefe splices together clips out of context to paint completely false versions of events.

[soldierant]

28. Political stinging.

[lagomorph777]

30. A sting operation involves getting somebody to do something illegal/unsavory and nailing them.

These clowns splice videos to make people appear to say things they didn't say, or put them in a context that completely alters their meaning. It's all a lie.

[soldierant]

32. These clowns get close to the people they want to smear

and, knowong what they want them to appear to have said, they lead them into conversations which can be cut and spliced to appear that they said it. It resembles a sting in that way.

[lagomorph777]

33. A combination of spying and lying.

Basically a fake version of a sting.

[soldierant]

34. I'll buy that.

[MagickMuffin]

2. Can't wait for the trial. That should be very revealing!

Hopefully it will put an end to O'Keefe.

[jimfields33]

3. Thank you president clinton for appointing this stellar judge

[mopinko]

4. for those who dont know bob creamer

that's jan schakowsky's hubs. dude has a target on his back.
not well known by dems, but the wingnuts all know him.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Companies have proprietary information and knowledge. This is the stuff.

Spying is unauthorized theft. Assuming a fake ID to spy too. If you're not up to no good, why the false ID? It's not like this is an ex-employee NDA violation.

[Fla Dem]

13. This is what I don't know. Is spying illegal?

Last edited Mon Oct 25, 2021, 01:59 PM - Edit history (1)

I understand gov't spying cannot be done without the appropriate court OK. But is one non-governmental group spying on another non-governmental organization also illegal? Isn't this done all the time? Such as one spouse hiring a PI to spy on their spouse. Or an employer having cameras in a facility to spy on their employees? Or a business spying on another business.

I'm certainly nor advocating for any type of spying. Just don't know where the line is drawn between legal and illegal. And I realize the person or organization being spied on can always sue as in this case, but can they also be arrested and tried for spying, I did try to find the answer, but mostly results referred to governmental spying, espionage and surveillance.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. I think it's more a matter of proprietary information, trademarks, patents, and NDA's

You can't be working (or volunteering, or contracting) for a company or organization and expect to be feeding info to competitors. You do sign an employment agreement with lots of legalese. Maybe it varies a bit state to state too, depending on which methods you use.

[DBoon]

17. stealing trade secrets is a criminal offense

https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/criminal-theft-of-trade-secrets.html

Trade secrets can be broadly defined

Whistle-blowing involves disclosure of possible criminal activity to appropriate authorities. Criminal activity is not considered a protected trade secret.

https://www.dbllawyers.com/whistleblower-immunity-and-the-defend-trade-secrets-act/

I'm not a lawyer, and any lawyer who wants to correct these statements is welcome to do so.

[ProfessorGAC]

26. Almost All Of My Work Was Trade Secret

I've been retired 3 years and there are parts of my own work I'm not legally allowed to divulge, even now.
And, surreptitious methods used to obtain inside information are almost always considered unlawful.
The law was explained in detail every few years to us.

[LeftInTX]

20. It would all depend on whether she signed a NDA

Some campaigns will hire anyone off the street...They work as poll greeters and very low level positions. Job is temporary, but access is enough to do some spying.

Now if the person was a field director, then it's a different story.


It happens.

Note that she was hired using a fake name...How did that happen????

[LeftInTX]

25. Apparently, she was only a volunteer, not an employee

Probably no disclosure agreement signed or anything...No background check etc.

[young_at_heart]

7. This happened in 2016/2017???

Why has it taken so long?

[2Gingersnaps]

10. The family of Seth Rich just settled with FOX

Shortly after the 2020 elections, he died July, 2016. Wheels of Justice.😔

[KS Toronado]

24. Yep, the Wheels of Justice turn real slow

We'd all like to see Qrump behind bars before the midterms on account of Jan 6th, but I seriously doubt
we'll see that happen. There's no doubt he'll get there eventually as long as we keep pursuing it. And
keep a positive attitude about him ending up there, instead of a rich people always skate opinion.

[GoCubsGo]

8. It never ceases to amaze me that O'Keefe is not rotting in a prison cell.

[Jilly_in_VA]

9. I know

I can't figure out why the little slimeball isn't wearing and orange jumpsuit and flip flops either.

[2Gingersnaps]

11. In the too low to be considered gutter level tradition

of Roger Stone and Paul Manafort. And they were just smacked on the hand for a life of crime.

[ToxMarz]

14. So is political spying illegal?

For the government to do I can see where it would be, but unless its illegal for him his supporters/followers won't care what anyone calls it. Just a means to an end.

[LeftInTX]

23. If she signed a NDA, she could be sued

But the fact that she was hired using a fake name is weird.

According to the Huffpost, she was a volunteer, so no credentials or NDA involved.
Just a volunteer....So, she could get away with the fake name thing.

[gab13by13]

16. I am not a violent person,

but I would love to punch that fucking punk right in the face, and fuck you Bill Maher, you too. In the octagon of course.

[hlthe2b]

18. There are innumerable 'deplorables' on the RW--hardly any more so than that dweeb.

Good!

[tanyev]

19. Project Very TASS.

[LeftInTX]

21. How did she manage to get hired using a fake name?

[FakeNoose]

22. I hope we have Dems secretly spying on the Repukes' criminal activities

[LetMyPeopleVote]

27. O'Keefe is a scumbag and liar

This lawsuit will be fun to watch

[Grins]

29. Allison Maass did this in 2016?

FIVE years ago? And it’s going to court this December? Why the hell so long?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

31. Project Ferret Ass

As I like to call it. Just as stinky.