Project Veritas Report Claims Ilhan Omar Supporters Are Harvesting Ballots

President Donald Trump called Monday for an investigation into Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar after a Project Veritas investigation reported illegal ballot harvesting by Omar's supporters. Project Veritas, a reporting project led by conservative activist James O'Keefe known for conducting undercover sting-style reports, reported Sunday that Omar's supporters illegally collected blank ballots and posted videos to social media. The allegations were supported by an official from Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and other unidentified sources. One of the videos in the report shows Liban Mohamed, brother of Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman, saying he collected over 300 ballots. Ballot harvesting allows third parties to collect and deliver ballots in some states. It is illegal to harvest more than three ballots in Minnesota. The story was widely covered by right-rated outlets. The story received less coverage overall from center- and left-rated outlets, though it was covered by Newsweek and Forbes; some left-and center-rated outlets framed the story as an attempt from the right to prove mail-in voting causes widespread voter fraud. Some left-rated outlets also highlighted Project Veritas' use of undercover reporters and anonymous whistleblowers in their investigations, as well as the fact that some journalists have branded Veritas projects as ethically questionable. Editor's note: Updated 9/28/2020 at 9:46 p.m. to include more information about Project Veritas' methods.