The Justice Department has officially ended its case against members of the investigative group Project Veritas in connection with their attempt to publish the diary of Ashley Biden, the daughter of President Joe Biden. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York announced the decision in a brief one-paragraph letter to the presiding judge, stating that no additional charges would be filed and requesting that the judge’s command be terminated.
The move marks the conclusion of a years-long investigation that began in the final days of the 2020 presidential campaign. Prosecutors had targeted Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe and associates Spencer Meads and Eric Cochran as part of the probe, but the case ultimately closed without any criminal charges. Notably, the Justice Department did not provide any explanation for why the case was dropped after such an extensive inquiry.
DOJ says it will not bring charges in investigation of Project Veritas. It was unclear whether the decision was part of a larger pattern by DOJ since Trump took office to walk away from cases involving his allies. w/ Adam Goldman https://t.co/IVPLUiNdRY
— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) February 6, 2025
The investigation, which sparked concerns about press freedom and government overreach, centered around whether Project Veritas had unlawfully obtained and attempted to publish the diary. The group has long maintained that they were acting as journalists in pursuit of a legitimate news story and that they had turned the diary over to law enforcement when they could not verify its authenticity.
Legal experts and media watchdogs have scrutinized the government’s handling of the case, questioning whether it was politically motivated. Critics argue that pursuing journalists over their investigative work sets a dangerous precedent, particularly given the Justice Department’s history of scrutinizing undercover reporting tactics.
With the case now closed, questions remain about the motivations behind the investigation and its implications for journalistic freedom in the United States.
