BREAKING: Project Veritas CEO who took over after James O'Keefe ouster resigns, says she reported 'financial improprieties' to authorities

Hannah Giles is stepping down as the CEO of investigative journalism outlet Project Veritas. Giles, who took the post in June after founder and former CEO James O'Keefe was essentially removed, had been working with O'Keefe as far back as his first video which exposed an Obama-backed mortgage assistance not-for-profit. 

"I am stepping down from all roles Project Veritas and Project Veritas Action—effective immediately," she posted. "Though I had high hopes when I joined the organizations, I stepped into an unsalvageable mess—one wrought with strong evidence of past illegality and past financial improprieties. Once such evidence was discovered, I brought the informaiton to the appropriate law enforcement agencies."

O'Keefe's professionalism, demeanor and financial doings were questioned by staff, and then the board of directors, early in 2023. One of the allegations, per a letter signed by 16 staffers, was that he had eaten a pregnant woman's sandwich. Additional financial misdeeds were alleged, but never elaborated on, other than complaints that he had attended to personal affairs while on business trips and took too many "black cars," or hired vehicles, to get from one place to another, per a report from the Washington Post.

O'Keefe said in February that he had been suspended as CEO. "James has become a power-drunk tyrant and he is exactly who he pontificates on who we should be exposing," the letter read.

Project Veritas launched a suit against O'Keefe in May, alleging financial improprieties. O'Keefe's latest venture, OMG, revealed that Giles redirected funds from Project Veritas Action to pursue legal action against O'Keefe. Then-CFO Tom O'Hara resigned over it, saying "Walling off funds in PVA [Project Veritas Action] to pursue a lawsuit against James O'Keefe at the expense of PV and any remaining employees is in my opinion a prime example of putting personal vindication ahead of the best interest of the organizations."

In its prime, Project Veritas was instrumental in exposing fraud across the US, in corporations such as Pfizer, in media, government, and education. Since O'Keefe left, it has gone downhill. Most of the staff that didn't leave or resign of their own accord were fired in August as the company ran out of funds to make payroll or to cover ongoing legal fees. 

In September, the company ceased operations entirely and suspended investigations. Giles and head of human resources Jen Kiyak cite "financial ruin" and said that as of September 20, all investigations in progress came to an abrupt halt.

"Since James quit," a source told Post Millennial at the time, "the donations dried up...the donations never resumed. The board were desperate to bring Hannah on board because they thought it would be cute but the problem is she's a charlatan and a fraud. Everything she's ever done has been a failure and she lied to everyone claiming she had all these donors she could bring in."

This article was updated with a link to reporting on the audit alleging misdeeds.