IRS Grants Nonprofit Status To James O'Keefe's 'Project Veritas'

An organization founded by conservative filmmaker and self-proclaimed "muckraking journalist" James O'Keefe has been granted nonprofit status by the IRS.

O'Keefe told The Chronicle of Philanthropy that he's glad he can begin to garner tax-deductible donations for his organization:

"We're pleased that Project Veritas' nonprofit status has been approved. Our nonpartisan mission of exposing corruption while training new, investigative journalists can now be fully supported by donors who require a tax-exemption for their generous contributions."

On its website, Project Veritas describes itself as bringing "transparency into the back-room deals" by using investigative journalism tactics.

In March, a controversial video sing produced by Project Veritas led to the resignation of two NPR executives. The video, which featured the executives making seemingly questionable remarks about religious and political groups, was later revealed to be heavily edited and misleading in nature by media news outlets.

O'Keefe said that the NPR sting cost over $50,000 to actualize and appealed to supporters for funds to help pay off debt. He told Talking Points Memo:

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

When it was discovered that O'Keefe filed for nonprofit status, some doubted the probability of it happening, due to his criminal record and public statement that he'd "do it again." O'Keefe is still on probation due to a misdemeanor conviction and cannot travel outside of New Jersey.

Comments

[tswift4evar]

11:47 AM on 06/26/2011

James, I don't care what point of view you espouse and what ethically questionable means you use to get that point across, all I want is to see you shirtless.

[chazzman]

05:03 AM on 06/01/2011

I guess it is true that "one is born every day".

[MrsGreebers]

07:12 PM on 05/31/2011

That should be Project "Veritas"

[padoodle]

03:44 PM on 05/30/2011

WTF! He's a CRIMINAL. A SCAMMER. A LIAR.

[Timrx]

03:29 PM on 07/03/2011

You forgot. WINNER.

[whinenot]

11:15 AM on 05/30/2011

I suppose he made the argument that churches are non-profit for 'preaching their beliefs' and so he should have the same rights for 'spewing his ideology'. It is truly a sad day. We should limit tax-exempt status to only those organizations which actually assist people using no theological or ideological brainwashing nonsense. Everyone else, tax them like corporations.

[booker52]

06:30 PM on 05/28/2011

I thought this loser was exposed as a cheat and a liar, so does he plan on turning the camera on himself?

[Timrx]

03:22 PM on 07/03/2011

He's been exposed as a winner. He's gotten Acorn, NPR and the NJ teachers Union. And his employer bagged Anthony Weiner. They are making 60 minutes look like dinosaurs.

[BonnieDoon]

02:00 PM on 05/28/2011

So, the NeoCon

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o
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with a political agenda can get away without paying taxes? And, Main Street Americans get an audit, interest, fines and sometimes jail.

[Timrx]

03:17 PM on 07/03/2011

Deal with it.

[Leah Vollmer]

06:14 PM on 05/27/2011

He must be a beacon of moral superiority. Most people on probation in Jersey are.

[The Dude67]

09:06 AM on 05/28/2011

terrorist? Wow, your conditioning took really really well.

[Sean Myers]

05:39 PM on 05/27/2011

little twerp should be in jail.

[tswift4evar]

11:48 AM on 06/26/2011

Sexy jail maybe!

[Sunnyd2035]

05:19 PM on 05/27/2011

Lying for what you believe in is not the same as fighting for what you believe in.
Perhaps someone should teach this him some ethics.

[Trillian4210]

09:48 PM on 05/27/2011

Then he would no longer be a conservative. ;)

[Truckeedude]

01:01 PM on 05/27/2011

Is that a 501C-3? Cuz there are some rules and laws those types are REQUIRED to follow.

[Jeff1958]

12:29 PM on 05/27/2011

Whichever IRS rep approved this partisian hack's application for tax exempt status should be fired and the tax exempt status for O'Keefe's organization should be rescinded.

[SubgeniusMustHaveSlack]

02:28 PM on 05/27/2011

F&F for truth and Cats Under the Stars.

[Hollywooddeed]

03:22 PM on 05/27/2011

But now the IRS will be watching...

[WilliamWalton]

11:36 AM on 05/27/2011

I thought his 15 minutes of fame was over and done.

[Timrx]

03:26 PM on 07/03/2011

Uh, no. The whole Big Government is on a major roll after taking own Weiner..

[Darren2Be]

11:02 AM on 05/27/2011

This little weasel should be doing FED time, but that this writer would would attribute him as a filmmaker infuriates me!! If I turn on a super8 and capture him or Breitbart in 'action' can I be constituted as an award winning documentarian if I buy myself a pimphat for my efforts???

[ehorth]

03:44 PM on 06/01/2011

Sure, you would be doing "investigative journalism" like Breitbart with his "break news story" about Rep. Weiner!! The fact that O'Keefe can actually say straight-faced that one of his purposes is to "train[ ] new, investigative journalists can now be fully supported by donors" is one of the funniest things I've read all day!! HE, is going to TRAIN investigative JOURNALISTS? Would that be like himself? If anything, he will be bringing in students as unpaid interns, all the while soliciting donations which will go towards "operating and training" costs!

Things like this take my breath away in their sheer audacity and gall.

[Timrx]

03:27 PM on 07/03/2011

If Michael Moore and Al Gore have Oscars for "documentaries", anything is possible.