McCaskill Demands Investigation Into Project Veritas Recordings

ST. LOUIS, MO — U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is in the middle of a hotly contested reelection campaign, is asking her opponent, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate secret recordings made by the conservative activist group Project Veritas. Her campaign filed a complaint with the Attorney General's office on Thursday, according to a news release.

(WATCH LIVE: McCaskill, Hawley Debate In St. Louis. Also be sure to check out Patch's 2018 Midterm Voter Guide for more information on the races in front of Missouri voters this November.)

Founded by right-wing provocateur James O'Keefe, Project Veritas has made undercover (sometimes illegal) recordings of everyone from Planned Parenthood to NPR. The group's latest video, published earlier this week, shows McCaskill and staffers talking about her already-public support for gun reform legislation and Planned Parenthood and admitting that she once campaigned for President Barack Obama — shocking revelations for a Democrat.

"Of course," McCaskill tells the activist masquerading as a journalist when asked if she supports banning bump stocks, "I've voted for most of those things."

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McCaskill's campaign has accused the group of fraud and violating state law by capturing the videos under false pretenses, but investigating the substance of those claims falls under the purview of her Republican Senate challenger.

“Senator, accusing people of crimes is a serious thing,” Hawley responded via Twitter on Wednesday. “If you have evidence of a crime, please come forward with it immediately. Otherwise, please stop politicizing the legal process for your reelection.”

The McCaskill campaign fired back Thursday with an official complaint addressed to Hawley's office. In it, the campaign demands a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations.

"There is probable cause to believe that Project Veritas has committed a class D felony under Missouri law," the campaign said, citing a string of lawsuits and legal complaints against Project Veritas. "...Project Veritas is not a journalistic endeavor. Moreover, these individuals knew or should have known that what they were doing was illegal because they have engaged in this unlawful and unacceptable behavior in the past. In 2010, Mr. O’Keefe pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation, community service and required to pay a fine for breaking into Senator Mary Landrieu’s office. A Federal Judge called Mr. O’Keefe’s conduct there 'nefarious and potentially dangerous.'"

McCaskill will debate Hawley tonight at 7 p.m. on local NPR and PBS affiliate stations, and the recordings are likely to come up. Indeed, rumors of others are already circulating, with state Democratic Rep. Courtney Allen Cutis, who represents Ferguson, Missouri, promising to release one an hour before tonight's debate. It's not clear the content of that recording or which Senate campaign in may involve, but Curtis has strongly criticized McCaskill for her support of the Clean Missouri amendment, which some black lawmakers say could disenfranchise African American communities across the state.

Curtis said he has already shared the recording with a handful of journalists.

Photo: Sen. Claire McCaskill is welcomed by supporters as she arrives to speak at a Missouri Democratic Campaign office on October 17, 2018 in Arnold, Missouri. (Michael Thomas/Getty Images)