MN Sec of State threatens Cam Higby, James O'Keefe with arrest after bombshell undercover video exposes voter 'vouching' vulnerabilities

Journalists James O'Keefe and Cam Higby, after shedding light on potential voter fraud in Minnesota elections, have been targeted by Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.  

O'Keefe and Higby, going undercover in full traditional Muslim attire, were on a mission to expose Minnesota's controversial "vouching" system, where a registered voter can "vouch" for those unregistered to vote on election day as a form of ID. The law states that the "voucher" can vouch for up to 8 people who live within the boundaries of a voting precinct. The operation appeared to be successful, as multiple election workers were ready to register multiple undercover journalists for Minnesota's elections.

Although the video shed light on the potential for voter fraud from the practice, Minnesota Secretary of State Simon's ire was directed at Higby and O'Keefe and not the poll workers who nearly allowed them to have fraudulent votes to take place.

In a statement after the expose, Simon said, “During Minnesota’s Primary on August 11, 2026, members of a widely discredited Florida-based political group visited several polling places in Minneapolis impersonating Minnesota voters. Dressed in what they called ‘Muslim’ costumes and imitating foreign accents, they falsely claimed to be registered Minnesota voters. The group used concealed cameras to record their interactions with poll workers, releasing a heavily edited video of their encounters. Their apparent goal was to cast doubt on one or more Minnesota election laws that have been in force for over fifty years. Instead, they revealed their ignorance of how those laws actually work – while putting themselves in legal jeopardy.” The article containing his statement said that "law enforcement is reviewing" the situation. 

Pointing to an article from KSTP, Higby posted to X, “Minnesota’s Secretary of State has threatened legal action against me while interviewing with KSTP. He says law enforcement are ‘reviewing Higby’s action’ after I exposed MAJOR vulnerabilities in the state’s election system.”

“I think a ‘Thank you Habibi’ is in order.

O’Keefe posted to X, “Um, why is Steve Simon @MNSecofState THREATENING @camhigby and me when the election worker said ‘You are the ID.’ Clearly some election officials told us we could vouch for eight people.”

During the expose, O’Keefe was told by an election worker, “You are the ID.”

According to the office of the Secretary of State, those wanting to vote on Election Day only have to bring “one proof of residence” that is listed on the website. That includes a “registered voter who can confirm your address” or a “voucher.”

After the expose, Simon put another statement on his website, claiming that with vouching in Minnesota, the “potential voter must still provide their Minnesota driver’s license or ID card number or the last four digits of their social security number for identity verification.”

However, the official statute is silent on the matter for those who are vouched for regarding any additional identification.