Lawsuits Describe Project Veritas as Booze and Drug-Fueled, Accuse James O’Keefe of Wanting to Hire ‘Pretty Young Things’ for Undercover Dates
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Project Veritas, the far-right activist group founded by James O’Keefe in 2010, is facing two lawsuits from a former employee alleging a “highly sexualized” work culture where “daytime drinking and drug use were common,” reported the New York Times on Monday.
The allegations are laid out in two separate legal filings against the group by former employee Antonietta Zappier.
“This suit is brought, in part, to remedy Plaintiff’s two and a half years of work in a sexually hostile work environment, which ended after she was sexually assaulted and sexually harassed by PV’s Field Director, Michael Spadone,” reads the legal filing, which adds, “and to remedy the fact that she was terminated by PV and Spadone because she rejected Spadone’s entreaties to spend the weekend with him at his home for a sexual liaison.”
Project Veritas “has for years sought to embarrass political opponents and members of media organizations by surreptitiously recording them and publicizing their private communications,” notes the Times.
The group has been accused of deceptively editing footage and entrapping the subjects of its clips. The group recently was forced to pay Stanford University’s $150,000 legal fees after a judge tossed the group’s defamation lawsuit against the university.
Project Veritas is under federal investigation for allegedly stealing a diary belonging to Ashley Biden, President Biden’s daughter. The group has denied any wrongdoing.
The Times notes that Zappier’s lawsuits allege “drinking and drug use were ‘rampant’ within Project Veritas and that supervisors were sexually involved with subordinates.” The filings document that workers regularly worked additional hours without pay and that the organization kept a corporate apartment that was used “used like a ‘frat house’ for drinking, sex, and parties.”
Zappier specifically details how Spadone regularly commented on her appearance and would greet her by saying, “Hey, gorgeous.” The suit alleges that on Dec. 17, 2021, “a sweaty and intoxicated Mr. Spadone grabbed Ms. Zappier while she was on a dance floor, wrapped her in a bear hug and began to kiss her,” according to a summary in the Times.
Additionally, the suit details Zappier’s time working closely with O’Keefe. Zappier alleges:
O’Keefe gave instructions to flag private messages on his social media account from attractive women so he could respond to them personally; that he wanted young, attractive female operatives he referred to as “pretty young things” or “PYTs” to be hired to go on undercover dates; and that he mandated that the group’s operatives review copies of the book and movie “Red Sparrow,” about a Russian intelligence agent trained in “sexpionage.”
Zappier’s lawsuits were filed some two months after Project Veritas filed its own suit against Zappier and her husband, Vincent Zappier, alleging she broke the terms of her separation agreement and Vincent was harassing the group’s employees.
