Project Veritas on May 31 sued its founder James O’Keefe following his ouster from the journalism group.
O’Keefe breached his contract by starting a rival group while still employed by Project Veritas, the organization said in the 37-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. court in New York.
O’Keefe formed the O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) on Feb. 17 despite not having been terminated yet, the suit says. O’Keefe also falsely said on multiple occasions that he was fired despite still being employed, albeit suspended, by Project Veritas, according to the filing.
O’Keefe is also accused of violating his contract by contacting Project Veritas donors and soliciting Project Veritas workers to come work for him at his new organization.
One message allegedly sent to donors said in part, “Hey there, I know you’ve been a supporter of my work in the last year,” with a link to an OMG webpage asking for paid subscriptions.
At least two employees accepted O’Keefe’s offer. R.C. Maxwell and Anthony Iatropoulos, the pair, were also named as defendants in the suit. Maxwell and Iatropoulos violated their employment agreements by joining OMG and appearing to use Project Veritas property while doing so, Project Veritas alleges.
Project Veritas is asking the court to quickly issue an order in its favor.
“If this Court does not preliminarily enjoin O’Keefe and OMG from soliciting Project Veritas’s donors and employees, they may have solicited them all by the time Project Veritas wins a judgment prohibiting them from such solicitation,” the filing states.
O’Keefe and Maxwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iatropoulos could not be reached.
O’Keefe Leaves Project Veritas
After weeks of rumors about his status, O’Keefe went to the Project Veritas offices in New York and announced he was leaving the company after being suspended by the organization’s board and stripped of decision making authority.
O’Keefe said he had requested board members to resign. When they did not, he chose to leave. Project Veritas maintained it was open to O’Keefe still being with the company while accusing him of mishandling money, allegations he denied. In the new suit, the group says the board “did not terminate O’Keefe’s employment, but rather intended to reinstate him with appropriate safeguards.”
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