Project Veritas Founder James O’Keefe Sues Twitter for Defamation After Permanent Ban

Project Veritas Founder James O’Keefe filed a lawsuit on April 19 alleging that Twitter had defamed him by claiming that he operated fake accounts on the platform. The lawsuit, filed in the Supreme Court of New York in Westchester County, claims that Twitter knowingly defamed O’Keefe in a statement the company issued explaining his permanent suspension from the platform. “The false accusation that Mr. O’Keefe operated ‘fake accounts’ is particularly damaging for Mr. O’Keefe because Mr. O’Keefe is a journalist. As such, his reputation for transparency and accurate reporting is fundamental to his profession,” the lawsuit states. Twitter permanently banned O’Keefe on April 15 without advance notice or an explanation. Shortly after, the social media giant had disseminated a statement to journalists accusing O’Keefe of “operating fake [Twitter] accounts.” Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At the time of his suspension from the platform, O’Keefe had …