25 Mar 2011 12:16 pm
James O'Keefe Asks Supporters For $50,000 To Pay Off 'Major Credit Card Debt'For undercover sting savant James O'Keefe, the task of self-funding his missions to bust groups such as ACORN and NPR is apparently causing a strain on his pocketbook.In a recent fundraising email to supporters, O'Keefe, who recently filed to have his group, Project Veritas, listed as a nonprofit, claims he's in deep credit card debt, and that he needs $50,000 to pay it off."Up 'til now, my friends and I have financed all of our work on our own -- running up major credit card debt," O'Keefe writes in the email, according to Talking Points Memo. "We made a lot of sacrifices -- personally and financially -- because we fight for what we believe in.""It cost us about $50,000 when all is said and done to produce the NPR video," O'Keefe continues. "If you help us raise over $50,000, it will go toward our next video -- after we pay off our credits cards, of course."Here you go Flying Monkeys. This is your chance to bail out a criminal who produces highly edited deceptive videos for a living. Give generously. Who cares if O'Keefe is a lying creep with a criminal history? He hates ACORN and NPR so what's not to like?If O'Keefe is the 'investigative journalist' that he purports to be, then why can't he find a paying job with a legitimate news organization?Related:James O'Keefe Requests Nonprofit Status For Project Veritas As his role in the recent NPR controversy continues to develop, conservative filmmaker and self-proclaimed muckraker journalist James O'Keefe is seeking nonprofit status for his Project Veritas organization. However, O'Keefe's past may play a detrimental role in his attempt for tax-exemption.Currently, the Project Veritas website features a section where viewers can donate, however it states that donations are not tax-deductible due to its pending nonprofit status.Marc Owens, a Washington tax lawyer who has monitored tax-exempt groups with the IRS, told the Chronicle of Philanthropy that its application for 501[C]3 status may not be accepted due to O'Keefe's criminal record and his public statement that he'd "do it again." Owens said:"If he is proposing to do something that is, in fact, illegal, can the IRS believe, with any degree of credibility, what he is saying? Is he going to continue to enter government offices illegally? He pled guilty to it once and said he would do it again. It's reasonable to conclude that the organization may be engaged in criminal activity in the future."