This case began after our January 2025 “Dating the Deep State” investigation series involving former FBI agent and federal contractor Jamie Mannina, who was recorded claiming he was having conversations with retired generals to “protect people from Trump.” Mannina, represented by Mark S. Zaid, later sued OMG and its undercover reporters for claims including defamation and false light, fraudulent misrepresentation, civil conspiracy, and federal wiretapping.

In July 2026, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta denied our motion to dismiss, allowing the case to proceed. Among the issues now being challenged is whether terms such as “Deep State” can be treated as provably false factual assertions rather than political characterization or rhetorical hyperbole. The order also discusses the word “coup,” but OMG’s position is that the word was never used in the published reporting; rather it appeared in Mannina’s own allegations about what our reporting supposedly implied.

Mannina also alleges fraudulent misrepresentation based on the undercover journalist’s use of a fabricated dating persona. Our argument raises a much bigger question for undercover journalism: Can concealing a journalist’s identity or motives to obtain information itself become legitimate actionable fraud?

That question is even more significant, especially since Judge Mehta’s order relied on Democracy Partners v. Project Veritas, a case that has recently produced a groundbreaking D.C. Circuit ruling. We have now asked the court to reconsider its decision in light of that new controlling appellate precedent.

Our newly filed motion argues that the recent Democracy Partners precedent changes the analysis: where protected publication contributes to the alleged injury, a plaintiff faces a heavy burden to establish that independently unlawful conduct, not the publication, was the force behind those damages the plaintiff sustained.

Here, there was no alleged workplace infiltration, theft of documents, entry into a private computer system, or access to a restricted government facility. According to his own filings, Mannina met someone at public restaurants and voluntarily spoke to her. Our position is that his alleged employment, reputational, and emotional injuries resulted from the subsequent publication of what he said, not simply from his reliance on a dating profile that may have been inaccurate.

And there is another federal ruling in another jurisdiction involving OMG with strikingly similar allegations: Fseisi v. O’Keefe Media Group. That case also involved Bumble, alleged false representations, purported romantic dates, secret recordings, a federal security contractor, and claims including fraudulent misrepresentation and wiretapping. Judge Anthony Trenga dismissed the fraud claim, concluding that the subsequent publication was an intervening cause of the claimed injuries.

This is bigger than one lawsuit. The question is whether traditional undercover newsgathering techniques can be repackaged as “fraud” when the alleged injury ultimately stems from publication protected by the First Amendment.

WATCH the full breakdown of our newly filed motion and why we believe the Democracy Partners ruling changes this case.

@JamesOKeefe

BREAKING NEWS: Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Official Reveals El-Sayed Receives Overseas Donations, Admits Foreign Contributions Are Illegal Under Federal Law, Warns Denouncing Hamas Could Cost Support

“You know, he [Abdul El-Sayed] has people from overseas that donate to him...No it is not allowed."

“He [Abdul El Sayed] can't just say, you know, no, I don't support Hamas, you know, I reject all of them, because he's going to lose the people that brought him up in the first place.”

@JamesOKeefe

O'Keefe Media Group went undercover inside Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign, capturing conversations with Abdoul Beckwith, a regional field organizer for Abdul for Senate, discussing El-Sayed’s overseas campaign contributions, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Beckwith claimed El-Sayed receives donations from overseas, “You know, he [Abdul El Sayed] has people from overseas that donate to him.” When asked whether overseas donations were prohibited, Beckwith responded, “No it is not allowed,” before describing a hypothetical arrangement in which overseas money passes through a family member.

Beckwith said, “And then people overseas give money to him. And then he gives money to you. It's that type of thing.” He added, “Everybody does it!”

Under 52 U.S.C. § 30121, foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to federal campaigns. However, U.S. citizens living abroad and lawful permanent residents may legally contribute.

During a car ride with our OMG undercover journalist, Beckwith suggested El-Sayed could lose support if he openly rejected Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, “He [Abdul El Sayed] can't just say, you know, no, I don't support Hamas, you know, I reject all of them, because he's going to lose the people that brought him up in the first place.” Beckwith continued, “He [El-Sayed] has to play the game. He has to play the role.”

When questioned about the Muslim Brotherhood, Beckwith claimed denouncing the organization could alienate Muslim supporters, stating: “So that's the whole thing. So when Abdul is going to denounce that [Muslim Brotherhood], they're [Muslims] going to think that he is siding with the genociders.”

Beckwith also expressed concerns about the influence of white and Jewish individuals surrounding El-Sayed. Mentioned El-Sayed could adopt their “mannerisms.”

Beckwith: “There's a lot of white people around him [El-Sayed]. A lot of Jewish people around him. And when you're around a certain group of people for so long, you absorb the ideology, the mannerisms, everything like that.”

He warned, “They're [Whites & Jews] going to hijack him and then in a year he's going to be doing what they want with him.” When asked whether El-Sayed might abandon his promises, Beckwith responded, “I think, yeah.”

Beckwith also made an allegation about Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson and stated "But I know Jocelyn works for the KKK." He repeated, "She works for the KKK. For the Ku Klux Klan."

In an unexpected moment, Beckwith recalled what he described as a previous encounter with Project Veritas during the 2020 Georgia Senate runoff campaign. “He had a backpack, but on his backpack, you could see a camera lens. You could see the red light of the camera lens.” Six years later, Beckwith was telling that story to another O’Keefe undercover journalist.

OMG has contacted Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign for comment and also contacted Bob Hobert, identified as an official with One Team Michigan whose role is to elect Abdul El-Sayed. We are now aware from the Michigan Democratic Party that Abdoul Beckwith has been terminated from his position.

These statements were captured on hidden camera by an OMG journalist inside the U.S. Senate campaign for Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit, Michigan.

@JamesOKeefe

JUST IN: The Michigan Democratic Party has announced Abdoul Beckwith has been terminated from his position.

@JamesOKeefe

Official Statement from Abdul El-Sayed's Team

@JamesOKeefe

🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: President Trump announces he'd pardon NICK SHIRLEY and other patriots before he leaves office if he senses Democrats will legally weaponize against them

This comes after Elissa Slotkin threatened prosecutions to intimidate young conservatives

"They want to frighten people. I heard it [from Elissa Slotkin]."

"If I see somebody that's unfairly treated, I have the power of pardons. There's those that say it's the strongest power a president has. And if I have to use it to protect people like Nick, I'd use it very openly, very gladly."

I would not put it past the next Dem DOJ to target Nick Shirley. Not even a little.

Slotkin really did say it. At a University of Chicago event, she said she wants young graduates to think working for Trump is "buying myself a ton of problems!"

@JamesOKeefe

It will be interesting to see the fine print of the 1% commission for fraud.gov and how this actually gets paid out.

The only other inventive for exposing fraud that exists is something called, “Qui Tam,” or the False Claims Act. It’s remarkable how few people know about it

In a Qui Tam, you sue on behalf of the government (you’re called the “relator”) if you are the original source or whistleblower. If the case prevails, you get 15-25% of the recovery if the government intervenes, or 25-30% if the relator pursues the case alone.

That is much higher than the 1% in the announced program….

@JamesOKeefe

WATCH WILD INTERACTION: James O'Keefe Confronts Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Official Over Revealing Foreign Donations, Staffer Assaults O’Keefe & Has To Be Physically Restrained by Campaign Staff. O'Keefe Files Police Report Following Assault in Compliance with Michigan Law.

“I don't give a f*ck who you [O'Keefe] are, bro.”

“We're going to ask for one more time and then we're going to have to call the cops.”

“You know, he [Abdul El-Sayed] has people from overseas that donate to him.”

@JamesOKeefe

I filed a police report against the campaign official for Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit. Michigan law makes this an assault.

@JamesOKeefe

We’d like to see the fine print on the 1% commission, what are the criteria and when/how it gets paid out.

@JamesOKeefe

“When I expose fraud, instead of investigating the fraud, they investigated me.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

The Powers that Be will always shine a light, not on the problem, but on those trying to expose the problem.

Godspeed, Nick Shirley.

@JamesOKeefe

My Price is My Life | Setting Sail with Chris Hansen and James O’Keefe

James O’Keefe is joined by none other than legendary investigative journalist Chris Hansen!

James and Chris bond over exposing evil and the art of the confrontation. Chris also gives his take on the new Primetime film, the lack of Epstein files arrests, and why audiences have followed his work for decades.

“People trust me because I've got a track record of being painstakingly transparent about my methodology and pursuing subjects in which people have a deep sincere interest,” Chris says.

Chapters:
0:00 – Introduction
3:33 – Welcome Aboard, Chris Hansen
4:21 – Chris Hansen’s 58-Arrest Sting
6:12 – What “Enterprise Reporting” Means
8:30 - Why Audiences Trust Chris Hansen
13:17 – The Jeffrey Epstein Cover-Up
14:04 – How Epstein Escaped Prison
25:00 – Chris Hansen’s Experience with Mike Wallace
33:57 – Two-Party Consent Laws Debated
41:23 – Chris Hansen on “Primetime” Movie
45:08 – Advice for Parents About Online Predators

@JamesOKeefe

🚨OMG CONFRONTS ABDUL EL-SAYED!🚨

OMG Correspondent Michael Casey attended Abdul El-Sayed U.S. Senate debate in Michigan and asked Abdul El-Sayed about our recent report on foreign donations to his campaign. Watch and listen to what he had to say. 👀

@JamesOKeefe

Abdul el Sayed RESPONDS to question from OMG about his staffer saying they illegally take money from overseas

@JamesOKeefe

"People trust me because I've got a track record of being painstakingly transparent about my methodology…"

@JamesOKeefe

"They went through hell to get this story out there."

@JamesOKeefe

Corruption will continue as long as people expect someone else to have the courage they won't exercise themselves.

@JamesOKeefe

BREAKING: Katie Hobbs-Aligned Canvassers Caught Willing to Allow Non-Citizens and a Felon to Vote

Muckraker went undercover in Arizona to investigate the groups working to re-elect Gov. Katie Hobbs Katie Hobbs and other Democrats.

Here’s what we found:

Stand Indivisible Arizona (endorsed Gov. Hobbs in their 2026 ballot guide) — Our journalist posed as a Canadian citizen and asked to register to vote. The canvasser not only agreed to help the alleged non-citizen register, but when asked whether other Canadians could register too, she said, “Tell them to do it online.”

Worker Power (working to re-elect Gov. Hobbs) — Our journalist told a canvasser they were not a U.S. citizen. Despite this, at our journalist’s request, the canvasser marked “yes” on the citizenship question of the voter registration form.

When We Count (the DNC’s own registration program) — Our journalist posed as a felon on probation and asked to register to vote. The canvassers looked up the law and saw that a felon on probation is ineligible. Even so, they encouraged our journalist to register: “You should just do it.”

AFL-CIO (phone bank mobilizing voters for Gov. Hobbs) — Our undercover journalist asked a phone bank trainer whether to ask the people being called if they're citizens. The trainer’s answer: “We don’t care.”

Our journalists stopped every exercise before any voter registration form was submitted.

We also asked Gov. Katie Hobbs about these findings.

Watch this report and share it with the world.

@realmuckraker

MUCKRAKER STRIKES AGAIN…

🚨WATCH: Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Staffer attempts to ATTACK me for asking questions about his comments regarding Abdul El-Sayed receiving donations overseas....

@JamesOKeefe