A leaked letter exclusively obtained by The Post Millennial reveals Project Veritas' founder James O'Keefe's statement to staffers on Monday after he was effectively removed from the organization by the board.
"I was asked to be gone until the 20th-- it is now the 20th," wrote O'Keefe. "I asked the board to resign for their conduct-- they did not. So currently, I have no position at PV based on the board's actions. So, I'm announcing to you all that today on President's day — I'm packing up my personal effects from headquarters, and I'm intending to start anew."
The letter includes screenshots of the board's meeting on Feb. 10 in which they voted three-to-two for his "indefinite suspension as CEO without compensation" pending an "audit."
It is unclear if O'Keefe will resign from Project Veritas or be fired, though Project Veritas spokesman RC Maxwell said in a statement to TPM: "I unfortunately don’t have any answers for you, the Project Veritas board is in charge now." O'Keefe declined to comment.
TPM understands that the board of directors plan to have a meeting and vote on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Project Veritas staffers had made allegations to the board that O'Keefe's curt leadership style was offensive to staff and donors. One large allegation of him being rude to a "high-net-worth" Oregon donor couple was refuted by the couple itself.
"I'm really, very disappointed in the petty allegations towards him, they're actually completely false and ridiculous," Dianna Remmers said in an Instagram video identifying herself as the donor in the list of allegations. "Without James, Project Veritas is nothing." Her husband also sent a letter to Project Veritas calling the staffer's allegations about O'Keefe's interactions with him and his wife "fabricated" and "gross exaggerations."
O'Keefe's 4,600-word letter to staffers details the emotional turmoil he and the organization have experienced in the 13 years since its founding from his parent's carriage house in New Jersey. They include what he believes are years of lawfare and corrupt criminal investigations aimed at stopping his organization from exposing powerful individuals and organizations. He also concedes to the staffers' main grievances about his leadership style.
"I haven't always been the most ostensibly compassionate leader - and that is admittedly a fault, something I need to work on," he wrote.
Since being suspended by the board, supporters of O'Keefe have speculated about the timing given that only days earlier Project Veritas had broken the most-viewed story in its history about a Pfizer executive who said that the pharmaceutical company worked on mutating the Covid-19 virus. O'Keefe references this in his letter.
"I don't have answers to why they've been doing what they've been doing, or why board members were going directly to employees to collect a list of grievances on the week of our biggest story ever. Or why our board members were going to employees directly to discuss removing me from Project Veritas – on the same week of our biggest story of all time."
O’Keefe’s letter also includes a screenshot of an alleged text message conversation between an unnamed board member and a Project Veritas staffer discussing getting a raise if O’Keefe is removed.
O'Keefe continues sharing his side of the internal dispute and closes the letter by suggesting he is prepared to start a new organization.
"So our mission continues on — I'm not done. The mission will perhaps take on a new name, and it may no longer be called Project Veritas. I'll need a bunch of people around me and I will make sure sure you know how to find me."
Read O'Keefe's letter here:
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