Government

Project Veritas Gonna Sue Twitter For Defamatory Section 230 Censorship And First Amendment Assault… Or Something

Rough day for Jack Dorsey.

By Liz Dye on April 16, 2021 3:15 pm

“I am suing Twitter for defamation because they said, I, James O’Keefe, ‘operated fake accounts.’ This is false, this is defamatory, and they will pay,” the infamous Project Veritas filmmaker said on his website. “Section 230 may have protected them before, but it will not protect them from me. The complaint will be filed Monday.”

He then went on to suggest that Twitter was perma-banning him for his most recent video of a CNN sound guy bragging to his date that his employer took down Trump with biased coverage. (So much for the claim that Dominion rigged the vote.)

“Twitter permanently suspended James O’Keefe’s personal account on the platform today, following a series of bombshell undercover videos of a CNN employee,” he said, before taking to Facebook to complain some more about not being allowed to speak his truth.

Here’s O’Keefe’s lawyer Harmeet Dhillon, fresh off her stunning success (AHEM) in getting that Biden win in Pennsylvania overturned, explaining to Sean Hannity that only a manly man like James O’Keefe would have the “spine” to take on CNN, the New York Times, and Twitter.

 

“You may not register or create fake or misleading accounts or use multiple accounts to manipulate Twitter conversations,” Twitter support said in an email to O’Keefe. “While you may use Twitter pseudonymously, or as a parody, comedy, or fan account, you may not use misleading account information in order to engage in spamming, abusive, or disruptive behavior, including attempts to manipulate the conversation on Twitter.”

The fact that O’Keefe himself published the email may make it more difficult to prove that he was grievously defamed when the company turned around and made roughly similar statements to the media.

There’s also the small matter of whether the suggestion that O’Keefe operated sock puppet accounts, even if defamatory, would actually harm his reputation. Pretending to be something he’s not is kind of James O’Keefe’s calling card.

This is a guy whose breakthrough move was filming himself dressed as a pimp, complete with faux fur coat and cane, trying to get an ACORN employee to help him dummy-up a mortgage application for a prostitute.

In 2017, a woman associated with Project Veritas pretended to have been impregnated as a teenager by Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in a bizarre attempt to discredit his other accusers and the Washington Post.

In 2010, he and two compatriots were arrested for sneaking into the office of then-Senator Mary Landrieu dressed as telephone repairmen. They pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and paid a fine.

Also in 2010, O’Keefe tried to lure a CNN reporter onto a “sex boat” where he would secretly film himself seducing her in an attempt to discredit the network.

Even the latest “sting” video — the one that supposedly got Twitter to shut O’Keefe up as a favor to CNN —  was shot by an actress claiming to be a nurse who catfished the CNN employee on Tinder. So there may be some difficulty establishing damages to the reputation of a person whose reputation is, umm, mixed.

There’s also the minor detail that Twitter can kick anyone off the site they like, and that the terms of service are not exactly favorable to user lawsuits. Just ask Devin Nunes.

But other than that, knock yourself out, fella.

James O’Keefe RESPONDS to TWITTER ACCOUNT SUSPENSION Following BOMBSHELL CNN TAPES: Says He Plans to SUE THE PLATFORM FOR ‘DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS’ [Project Veritas]
James O’Keefe vows to sue Twitter for defamation after ban for alleged use of ‘fake accounts’ [Fox]
Project Veritas founder wants to sue Twitter for defamation over recent suspension

Elizabeth Dye (@5DollarFeminist) lives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.