“At no point did I take this person seriously,” he said in a statement. “He struck me as being unstable and joking, and for only that reason did I humor him. In hindsight, I should have immediately walked away, making it clear that there is no place in the electoral process for even the suggestion of illegal behavior: joking or not.”
Mr. O’Keefe’s methods – including posing as a pimp in the ACORN case – have been criticized, especially by liberals targeted by his organization Project Veritas. In 2010, O’Keefe and three colleagues were arrested for illegally entering the offices of US Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) of Louisiana. O’Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, for which he was sentenced to three years' probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $1,500 fine.
Still, he’s had a clear impact on electoral politics.
“This is a fact, and it will [make liberals mad], but: James O'Keefe has had more of an impact on the 2012 election than any other journalist,” writes Slate political reporter David Weigel.
Responding to the Moran episode Thursday, Democratic National Committee chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) of Florida said her party has “zero tolerance” for voter fraud.
“It’s just indefensible and [Patrick Moran] was right to resign,” Representative Wasserman Schultz said on CNN.
