James O'Keefe Asks Supporters For $50,000 To Pay Off 'Major Credit Card Debt'

For undercover sting savant James O'Keefe, the task of self-funding his missions to bust groups such as ACORN and NPR is apparently causing a strain on his pocketbook.

In a recent fundraising email to supporters, O'Keefe, who recently filed to have his group, Project Veritas, listed as a nonprofit, claims he's in deep credit card debt, and that he needs $50,000 to pay it off.

"Up 'til now, my friends and I have financed all of our work on our own -- running up major credit card debt," O'Keefe writes in the email, according to Talking Points Memo. "We made a lot of sacrifices -- personally and financially -- because we fight for what we believe in."

"It cost us about $50,000 when all is said and done to produce the NPR video," O'Keefe continues. "If you help us raise over $50,000, it will go toward our next video -- after we pay off our credits cards, of course."

O'Keefe then lays out a variety of fundraising benchmarks -- including one seven-figure sum -- that would supposedly serve to finance his efforts going forward.

"And if by some chance, we raise $1,000,000 -- we could expose 20 disturbing cases of government abuse and corruption," O'Keefe writes. "But, all I'm worried about is $50,000 right now."

While O'Keefe solicits his supporters for contributions, he also appears to be making some cash by hitting the speaking circuit.

According to one recent report, relayed by Salon, O'Keefe received a $500 speaking fee to appear at a Tea Party event in New Jersey.

Read the whole email, via Talking Points Memo.

Comments

[dbrett480]

08:09 PM on 04/30/2011

$50,000 isn't that much. Kudos to O'Keefe for his low-cost filmmaking. I wonder how much it would have cost if Michael Moore had filmed the NPR piece.

[Ronnie Avatar Dixon]

05:46 PM on 04/01/2011

Short-term debt in order to gain wealth and prosper in the long term...sounds like Keynesian ecomics. O'Keefe is a liberal!?!?!? XD

[mltaylor13pt1]

11:52 PM on 03/30/2011

Pimping ain't easy, is it James?

[CharlesW299]

03:34 PM on 03/30/2011

Looks like the "stings" are, well, starting to 'sting'…

[Charles Bryan]

10:53 PM on 03/28/2011

I'll send him a check. I will borrow it from china and let my grand kids pay the bill.

[maxfax]

09:48 AM on 03/28/2011

$500 speaking fee?  LOL  Why doesn't he get a real job and go to work?

[CharlesW299]

03:38 PM on 03/30/2011

Doubt very much that anything he has to say, is worth paying for.

[ZeraLee]

05:47 AM on 03/27/2011

Eshews productive work for ideological crusade, functions on credit, fakes information, asks for bailout - yep, he's a good conservative pundit.

[hypnotoad72]

10:12 PM on 03/26/2011

Interesting form of loyalty -- the people O'Keefe was trying to impress will tell him "it's a sacrifice".  Or maybe they'll tell him to do public speaking conventions for $20,000 per speech...  after all, O'Keefe isn't a large corporation or big bank. 

O'Keefe, welcome to America.  Just as the people YOU support want you to be in.

[the vandergrafts]

06:45 PM on 03/26/2011

O'Keefe deserves to be sued into oblivion. Isn't recording someone without their knowledge illegal? Editing whatever statements he's collected into false statements must be. He ought to be followed relentlessly, filmed again and again, embarrassed again and again, until he drops from nervous exhaustion. Make it very expensive for him to live.

This little twink (with no disrespect to Russian Twinks.com) needs to be exposed...and not in a good way.

[hypnotoad72]

10:13 PM on 03/26/2011

To the best of my knowledge, recording conversations without full consent of all involved is indeed an illegal practice.

Editing speech to create a new effect, such manipulation and overt lying, is indeed a serious crime.  Or should be, in a civilized society.

[the vandergrafts]

02:34 AM on 03/27/2011

Thank you for your astute reply. But boy oh boy, you should read some of the others. It's as if the neocons are up all night just waiting to attack "liberal" opinions. Uncivilized bullies! One respondent said that in a recent (un-named source, a la Glen Beck) poll, Republicans showed a greater knowledge of American history than Democrats. Of course I seriously doubt the validity of that assertion.

[bhaines213]

01:25 PM on 03/26/2011

In the interest of being “fair and balanced” in the Fox style, here’s an article in defense of James O’Keefe:

http://open.salon.com/blog/jlroberson/2011/03/09/the_vicious_unfounded_accusations_that_james_okeefe_rapes_hamsters

[librldem]

11:10 AM on 03/26/2011

Okeefe needs to bend over and pull hmself up by his bootstraps! At least he could do what millions of other americans do and that is write up a teabagger type cardboard sign and go to a street corner and appeal for money from passing motorists. Will teabag for $ anything helps. gawd bless.

[inkhosi]

11:59 PM on 03/25/2011

HAH...these guys, man I swear...

[TimtheEnchanted]

11:16 PM on 03/25/2011

his 'supporters' are just about stvp|d enough to cough up the dough.

[maxfax]

09:50 AM on 03/28/2011

And they are, beginning with the $500 speaking fee. 

[bdoz58]

11:16 PM on 03/25/2011

"Up 'til now, my friends and I have financed all of our work on our own -- running up major credit card debt," O'Keefe writes in the email, according to Talking Points Memo. "We made a lot of sacrifices -- personally and financially -- because we fight for what we believe in."

"It cost us about $50,000 when all is said and done to produce the NPR video," O'Keefe continues. "If you help us raise over $50,000, it will go toward our next video -- after we pay off our credits cards, of course."

"And if by some chance, we raise $1,000,000 -- we could expose 20 disturbing cases of government and corruption," O'Keefe writes. "But, all I'm worried about is $50,000 right now."

Well Jamie in the spirit of editing I decided to edit your email - If you help us raise over $50,000 we could expose the of disturbing abuse of my friends I sacrificed- I’m worried. -James O'Keefe

[DrippingColors]

10:12 PM on 03/25/2011

So in addition to making really lame edited videos, he hasn't a financial clue?