The Republican campaign to sow mistrust in voting by mail continues with claims from the far-right media outlet Project Veritas that Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar—a favorite target of the conservatives—is involved in illegal ballot harvesting and votes-for-cash efforts in the state.
Ballot harvesting, which is not illegal in Minnesota, allows for third parties to deliver absentee ballots on behalf of voters.
The Project Veritas video shows Liban Mohamed, brother of Minneapolis city council member Jamal Osman, claiming to have 300 ballots for Osman in his car for delivery. Again, it is not illegal in Minnesota to deliver absentee ballots on behalf of voters.
Another anonymous source described as a Minnesota political worker claimed, without evidence, that Omar's campaign was paying women and young people for their votes.
The claims are sketchy at best.
In the past, Project Veritas has been caught putting forth fake sources in efforts to entrap media outlets into false reporting. Its head, James O'Keefe, has found himself in multiple legal battles in the past for his efforts.
Media Bias Fact Check rates Project Veritas as extreme Right with questionable with mixed factual reporting.
Overall, we rate Project Veritas a borderline Questionable Right Biased based on story selection that only favors the right and Mixed for factual reporting due to lack of sourcing and several failed fact checks.
Omar's communications director, Jeremy Slevin, said:
"The amount of truth to this story is equal to the amount Donald Trump paid in taxes of ten out of the last fifteen years: zero. And amplifying a coordinated right-wing campaign to delegitimize a free and fair election this fall undermines our democracy."
The Project Veritas video was released around the same time as a bombshell New York Times report on two decades' worth of Trump's tax returns, which showed that the President—who claims to be a billionaire—only paid $750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017. For 10 of the past 15 years, he paid nothing.
When Trump inevitably tweeted about the Project Veritas claims, Omar alluded to the $750 sum with a GIF from the popular game show Deal or No Deal.
https://t.co/RUQxbxIXUE pic.twitter.com/ByWCvCc4n0
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 28, 2020
The GIF shows a model opening a case with "$750" on a card before showing dismay at the number.
People were here for Omar's clapback.
A perfect tweet.
— blackness everdeen 🐺 (@traceyecorder) September 28, 2020
pic.twitter.com/UIhxuzcgHv
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) September 28, 2020
She's so good at this. https://t.co/HyXNU1SuXX
— Respectable Lawyer (@RespectableLaw) September 28, 2020
I know twitter clapbacks are pretty pointless, but this may be the best one I've ever seen https://t.co/UJe1FWy2qe
— Certified Pole Watcher (@passingtwink) September 28, 2020
I legit want the entire squad to mentor me. Brilliant. https://t.co/4sh3sKejNH
— Josh Crocker (@joshuacrocker) September 28, 2020
Once again, good evening to Ilhan Omar, and Ilhan Omar only. https://t.co/8l2YN3cRuU
— quinn (@maybequinnbutno) September 28, 2020
Others encouraged skepticism of Project Veritas' so-called reporting, especially given its past scams.
The islamaphobia and racism against Ilhan Omar really jumps out whenever a false story comes out about her. Project Veritas is trying to make her helping people return ballots (perfectly legal) into a bad thing.
— Matt McGill (@matthewmcgilll) September 28, 2020
Project Veritas should have something that warns people that this is false & propaganda. Kinda like they've started to do w/Trump's tweets when he lies & spreads misinformation.
They're lying & spreading misinformation.
— J. Judkins (@AltFedLaw) September 28, 2020
What Project Veritas is claiming is completely false. There is no illegal ballot harvesting. I bet we can find @JamesOKeefeIII as a consulting tax deduction on Trump taxes to fabricate a fake story about ballot harvesting that is untrue. https://t.co/K6AbigAGAl
— TrumpIsApandemic (@TrumpIsApandemc) September 28, 2020
Mutuals shouldn't let other mutuals take video and other assorted media by Project Veritas as fact. They're an incredibly untrustworthy source, and not just because it's a conservative outlet. They have a long history of intentionally false manipulation.
— Alex Kendrick (@AJ_Kendrick) September 28, 2020
Ilhan Omar won her primary handily earlier this year and is almost certain to be reelected in November.
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