Project Veritas' (PV) CEO Hannah Giles was questioned on her leadership of the outlet along with the board's decision not to release a forensic audit report on former CEO and founder James O'Keefe during his time heading the outlet.
In the footage released by new investigative journalist enterprise Sage Ops, Leon Sculti, who formerly worked as a field ops director for PV, confronts Giles about a video released by the outlet in late July regarding a phone call made to President Joe Biden's daughter Ashley.
Giles assumed the role of CEO following O'Keefe's departure earlier this year.
The CEO appears confused, saying she believed the outlet explained why the video was released. The video transitions to a clip from PV's Ashley Biden video featuring Giles saying the outlet has spent "millions of dollars defending former Project Veritas journalists," to which Sculti noted the video was released as a fundraiser for journalists specifically working on the Biden diary investigation.
Sculti revealed he was in the room during the video's recording, adding a colleague named Eric Cochran had objected to the video's release. Sculti further cited a Post Millennial article revealing a text message from Giles instructing a PV attorney to cease paying for fellow outlet reporters Spencer Meads' and Cochran's legal defense.
"On August 9, 2023 I was informed that the PV board of directors voted on August 8, 2023 to no longer indemnify Spencer Meads and Eric Cochran," reads the letter from PV's attorney obtained by the Post Millennial revealing the attorney had met with Giles and fellow board members George Skakel and John Sullivan. "I was told the main reason for the decision was to save money which seemed disingenuous considering the outstanding balances of Spencer’s attorney and Eric’s attorney, when combined, total roughly $45,000.00."
Giles did not respond to Sculti, who further questioned the PV CEO on a reported database of 300,000 Chinese operatives, which fellow board member John Garvey reveals in an audio clip from a Jun. 22 PV board meeting. Giles claimed to have "state-sponsored enterprises from the Chinese Communist Party" regarding plans implemented since October 2020.
"You realize how insulting it is that I'm bringing all these sources and these stories and these donors to the table and you guys are going to get rid of me in August," Giles says in the June recording.
Garvey denied Giles' claim, which the PV CEO countered, saying she felt that was the case because "that's what people have been saying."
"They're going to use you, abuse you, and say goodbye," Giles says as Garvey insists PV wouldn't remove her.
Sculti followed Giles, asking why her followers should believe in her and her leadership in PV, though she remained silent. The former PV field ops director asked if former founder O'Keefe committed "self-inurement" during his time heading the outlet. Sculti further noted the PV CEO had the report of the investigation conducted on O'Keefe.
A clip from a Jul. 27 audio recording is played featuring fellow board member Joe Barton saying the outlet is "vindicated" following the audit report results.
"The board decided not to release that," Joe Barton says of Project Veritas' audit of former CEO and founder James O'Keefe adding nobody besides the board would see the report for "reasons that do not have to be disclosed." Barton continues in the recording saying Project Veritas is "exonerated" in their findings
"No one will see the report except for the board," quipped Barton adding PV was "exonerated," though noted "there are other issues and concerns" in the board's decision against releasing their report.
Giles has agreed to a sit-down interview with Sage Ops.
Sage Ops is comprised of former PV members.
Earlier this month, a majority of PV's staff was let go after an unnamed source claimed donations to the outlet dried up.
O’Keefe was placed on paid leave by the board in February before ultimately being removed after a group of 16 employees wrote a letter of complaint. The group said his management style and business operations are “antithetical” to the organization’s core values.
Timcast News reached out to Sculti for comment, though did not immediately receive a response.
