--- title: Hillary Clinton Sting Video Doesn't Show Much description: Conservative provocateur James O'Keefe's latest undercover video targets Hillary Clinton's campaign but doesn't show much. canonical: https://time.com/4019217/hillary-clinton-james-okeefe-canadian/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-02T03:20:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:47:06.823Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why the Undercover Clinton Video Doesn't Sting Much og:description: It centers on $75. og:url: https://time.com/4019217/hillary-clinton-james-okeefe-canadian/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6e893b91179adc1/698861c7196cf49cab037d63/hillary-clinton-lobbying.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting on August 28, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why the Undercover Clinton Video Doesn't Sting Much twitter:description: It centers on $75. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6e893b91179adc1/698861c7196cf49cab037d63/hillary-clinton-lobbying.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why the Undercover Clinton Video Doesn't Sting Much > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=adc4a32a-b065-439a-b912-fa40ced6778a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=adc4a32a-b065-439a-b912-fa40ced6778a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=adc4a32a-b065-439a-b912-fa40ced6778a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Sep 2, 2015 3:20 AM UTC  Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting on August 28, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting on August 28, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Adam Bettcher—Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Sep 2, 2015 3:20 AM UTC The latest sting video from conservative provocateur James O’Keefe centers on a pretty small get: $75 spent on some Hillary Clinton swag at her campaign launch. In an undercover video by O’Keefe’s sting group Project Veritas, an activist for the conservative organization is seen allegedly playing the role of middleman for a foreign donation to the Clinton campaign. O’Keefe alleges that the money came from a Canadian citizen who, in effect, passed money to the Clinton campaign in violation of federal law. To the Clinton camp, the video shows nothing more than its staff following the law despite an attempt at entrapment. At least one campaign finance expert said that if the money is indeed the Canadian’s, the video shows wrongdoing by the Clinton camp. “If the Clinton staffer knew it was the Canadian donor’s money, then the Clinton staffer (and, consequently, the Clinton campaign) also violated the federal law ban on knowingly accepting a contribution in the name of another and accepting a contribution from a foreign national,” Paul Ryan, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center said. Regardless, given the deadlock at the FEC between commissioners and the tiny size of the donation, the case would be unlikely to ever be pursued. Instead, it’s another political Rorschach test, which shows different things to Clinton’s detractors and her supporters. The sting is the latest move by O’Keefe, who has yet to match the success he had in getting the liberal group ACORN dismantled with videos that appeared to show the group giving advice on avoiding taxes. [O’Keefe’s latest undercover sting operations](http://time.com/4006454/hillary-clinton-video-project-veritas/) have attempted to catch Clinton staff skirting the rules on camera, including one that O’Keefe claims to show Clinton staff selectively registering only supporters to vote. Clinton’s staffers “know the ins and outs of the election code, and we’ve shown you, they’re willing to break the law,” O’Keefe says in the latest video, promising more to come. “Next up, we go even deeper inside the Hillary campaign, to show you how election laws and rules are ignored at every level. Stay tuned, Hillary, and check your email.” The Clinton campaign brushed O’Keefe off as an annoyance who hasn’t proved anything except that they followed the law. O’Keefe is a longtime political provocateur who has faced legal challenges for his investigations and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges for entering then-Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu’s office with two allies disguised as repairmen. Critics argue he misrepresents his subjects by heavily editing his videos. The latest video segment, which plays a little like a camp _60 Minutes_ expose, begins with a Montreal resident attempting to buy campaign swag. Citing federal law that prohibits donations from foreign nationals, a Clinton campaign official clearly declines the Canadian’s money. “So, we can’t take contributions from anyone that is not a citizen of the United States,” Erin Tibe, the Clinton campaign compliance manager says in the video. “It’s not my rule; I’m very sorry.” The Canadian national insists she wants to buy Clinton swag. Then, apparently referring to the Project Veritas employee, the Canadian asks the Clinton staffers, “Can I give her the money? She’s an American citizen, she can buy it for me?” Molly Barker, the Clinton campaign’s director of marketing, appears to respond, “She could make a donation.” The Project Veritas staffer then appears to buy $75 of Clinton campaign swag for the Canadian. Federal election law [prohibits](http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section30121&num=0&edition=prelim) giving and accepting donations by foreign nationals, but it’s unclear from the video whether the $75 belonged to the Canadian or the Project Veritas journalist. It is legal for an American citizen to buy campaign paraphernalia and give it to a foreign national. But if the money belonged to the Canadian, then Project Veritas could make the case that the Clinton campaign had indirectly accepted a donation from a foreign national, a breach of campaign finance law. Dan Pollack, a spokesman for Project Veritas, insisted the video shows the Canadian handing money to the Project Veritas employee. “If you freeze it at the 2:50 mark you can see the cash on the screen being passed over,” Pollack told TIME. “Without question the Canadian passed the money to the Project Veritas journalist.” The Clinton campaign adamantly denies any wrongdoing. “This video shows a Project Veritas operative yet again unsuccessfully trying to entrap campaigns staffers who very clearly rejected any foreign donation. Our staffers understand and follow the law, as demonstrated even in their selectively edited video,” said Jesse Ferguson, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign. If the money did belong to the Canadian woman, Project Veritas could be guilty of breaking the same campaign finance law as the Clinton campaign. According to the [law](http://www.fec.gov/law/feca/feca.pdf), “it shall be unlawful for a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make a contribution or donation” in connection with any election, and for “a person to solicit, accept, or receive” such donations. Clinton’s campaign accused Project Veritas of seeking to act illegally to entrap campaign officials while also breaking the law itself on occasion. “Project Veritas … has been caught trying to commit fraud, falsify identities and break campaign finance law—not surprising, given that their founder has already been convicted for efforts like this,” Ferguson added. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4019217/hillary-clinton-james-okeefe-canadian/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4019217/hillary-clinton-james-okeefe-canadian/"},"headline":"Why the Undercover Clinton Video Doesn't Sting Much","datePublished":"2015-09-02T03:20:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:47:06.823Z","description":"Conservative provocateur James O'Keefe's latest undercover video targets Hillary Clinton's campaign but doesn't show much.","url":"https://time.com/4019217/hillary-clinton-james-okeefe-canadian/","keywords":["Hillary Clinton","2016 Election","Campaign Finance"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6e893b91179adc1/698861c7196cf49cab037d63/hillary-clinton-lobbying.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6e893b91179adc1/698861c7196cf49cab037d63/hillary-clinton-lobbying.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting on August 28, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.","caption":"Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting on August 28, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.","creditText":"Adam Bettcher—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4019217/hillary-clinton-james-okeefe-canadian/","name":"Why the Undercover Clinton Video Doesn't Sting Much"}}]}] ```