{"id":2033988,"date":"2023-09-15T21:03:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T01:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/video-okeefe-threatened-with-arrest-while-getting-hidden-camera-footage-of-maui\/"},"modified":"2023-09-15T21:06:20","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T01:06:20","slug":"video-okeefe-threatened-with-arrest-while-getting-hidden-camera-footage-of-maui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/video-okeefe-threatened-with-arrest-while-getting-hidden-camera-footage-of-maui\/","title":{"rendered":"Video: O&#8217;Keefe Faces Arrest While Secretly Filming Maui"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvideo-okeefe-threatened-with-arrest-while-getting-hidden-camera-footage-of-maui%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2033988&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The O\u2019Keefe Media Group Files Lawsuit Against Hawaii Governor and\u200b County\u200d of Maui<\/h2>\n<p>The O\u2019Keefe Media Group has taken legal \u200daction against Hawaii\u2019s Democratic Gov. Josh Green and the County \u200dof Maui following a\u2062 dramatic \u200bincident. The group\u2019s founder, James O\u2019Keefe, was threatened with \u2062arrest while attempting to capture hidden camera\u200b footage of the aftermath of devastating \u200cwildfires that ravaged the region.<\/p>\n<p>The confrontation, which was captured on hidden camera,\u200b occurred during the group\u2019s recent investigation \u2063into the disaster.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OKeefeMedia\/status\/1702473468338405566?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video<\/a> posted on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/charles-barkley-goes-on-profane-bud-light-rant-has-nasty-message-for-anyone-boycotting-brand\/\" title=\"Charles Barkley passionately defends Bud Light, delivering a strong message to boycott critics.\">social media \u2063platform<\/a> X, formerly Twitter, \u200drevealed \u2064a montage of police officers\u2063 secretly recorded,\u2062 making threats against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/james-okeefe-confronts-bud-lights-dylan-mulvaney-trans-activist-comes-womens-bathroom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">O\u2019Keefe<\/a> \u200b and his team. The officers cited the governor\u2019s emergency order in response \u2064to the \u200ctragedy\u200d as grounds for\u200d prohibiting photography and video recording on public land.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/okeefemediagroup.com\/omgs-james-okeefe-exposes-hawaii-govs-ban-on-public-photography-in-lahaina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video<\/a>, a police officer from Lahaina informed O\u2019Keefe that they were not allowed to take photos\u200d and park in a specific spot known as Lahaina Bypass \u201cfor safety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Keefe himself said, \u201cI film \u2064with the button\u2064 camera, my colleague with a camera in the brim of the phone. He did not know\u200c that we\u2019re recording, but he did \u2063inform me that if I was to record past this street, then I would be\u2063 arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em><strong>WARNING: The following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-education-board-member-under-investigation-after-social-media-posts-about-schools-brainwashing-children\/\" title=\"Utah Education Board Member probed for criticizing schools' influence on children.\">social \u2063media post<\/a> contains language\u200d some may find offensive.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">O\u2019KEEFE UNDERCOVER IN LAHAINA \u2064PART \u20621: Maui police and\u200c sheriffs tell Journalists Governor has\u200b prohibited \u2063photography on public land.<\/p>\n<p>Hawaii National Guard\u2064 says \u200bMaui police and Sheriffs are \u201cassholes\u201d who are \u201cpuffing chests\u201d<\/p>\n<p>OMG files lawsuit against Hawaii Gov to\u200c invalidate \u2062the\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Kh6WXsNSIg\">pic.twitter.com\/Kh6WXsNSIg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 O\u2019Keefe Media Group (@OKeefeMedia) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OKeefeMedia\/status\/1702473468338405566?\">September 15, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The police officers referred to \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capitol.hawaii.gov\/hrscurrent\/vol03_ch0121-0200d\/HRS0127A\/HRS_0127A-0029.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">127A-29<\/a>, of Hawaii \u2062Revised Statutes, citing it\u200d as the justification for the emergency declaration. This statute penalizes \u201cEmergency period infractions, violations, \u2062petty misdemeanors, \u2063and misdemeanors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This emergency rule\u2064 states: \u201cAny \u200bperson violating any \u2063rule of the \u200bgovernor \u2064or \u2063mayor prescribed \u200band\u2063 adopted pursuant to this chapter and having the force and effect of law \u2062shall, if \u2064it shall be \u2064so stated and designated in the rule, be guilty of a \u200cviolation, petty misdemeanor, or misdemeanor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u2063 these warnings, \u200bO\u2019Keefe\u2063 and his team continued to document their surroundings, including areas\u200c of Lahaina designated as \u201cmilitary National Guard checkpoints.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not supposed to be\u2063 filming, but we are filming, because it\u2019s our First Amendment right to\u2064 film,\u201d\u2064 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twitter-has-no-plans-to-reinstate-former-president-donald-trumps-account-despite-calls-for-newest-shareholder-to-do-just-that\/\" title=\"Twitter Has No Plans To Reinstate Former President Donald Trump\u2019s Account \u2014 Despite Calls For Newest Shareholder To Do Just That\">independent investigative journalist<\/a> said.<\/p>\n<p>When a lawyer identified as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/yoder_esq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mike Yoder<\/a>, who\u2063 was\u200c with O\u2019Keefe\u2019s team, inquired of another police officer, \u201cDoes it say \u200cin there\u200d that you can\u2019t take photos of stuff?\u201d \u2063the latter responded, \u2064\u201cWe\u2019ll,\u2062 it\u2019s saying that you\u2019re not supposed to park over here.\u2063 So if\u2064 you \u2063guys park here, that\u2019s technically in violation.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"zxx\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/G2M3MxuT9v\">pic.twitter.com\/G2M3MxuT9v<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 James O\u2019Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JamesOKeefeIII\/status\/1702412187640504519?\">September 14, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>O\u2019Keefe later\u200d identified the officer as\u2062 \u201cOfficer\u2063 W. Akua\u201d and said he \u201cgot rather invasive in the vehicle,\u201d adding, \u201che was getting\u2062 a little close for comfort with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was wondering if\u2063 he was gonna detain me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later in \u2062the\u2063 video, members of\u2063 the\u200c National Guard contradicted the police\u2019s\u2064 stance, affirming that filming was permitted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHawaii <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-gabbard-ends-long-shot-2020-bid-disruptive-candidacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Guard<\/a> says \u2064Maui police and Sheriffs are \u200c\u2018a**holes\u2019 who are \u2062\u2018puffing chests\u2019,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/okeefemediagroup.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OMG<\/a> said on\u2064 X.<\/p>\n<p>One guardsman confirmed that many wildfire victims are still \u200b\u201cunaccounted for,\u201d\u200d suggesting that \u201cmost of \u2064them\u201d may \u2062have been \u201ccremated.\u201d<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s\u2062 hard \u2062to get the DNA off them. That\u2019s why we\u2019re holding the scene, \u200bso that way, the \u2064dogs\u2063 can come and try \u200cto\u2064 get a \u200cscent, then they run \u2063the DNA,\u201d the guardsman added.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2064exact count of\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/video-okeefe-threatened-with-arrest-while-getting-hidden-camera-footage-of-maui\/\" title=\"Video: O'Keefe Faces Arrest While Secretly Filming Maui\">missing individuals remained uncertain<\/a>, but it could potentially reach as high as \u201ca\u200b thousand,\u201d according\u2062 to the discussion in the \u200dfootage.<\/p>\n<p>This conflicting narratives from police officers \u200band\u200c guardsmen added \u2062complexity to the situation.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, O\u2019Keefe managed to\u200c extract a statement from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/govt-incompetence-lives-lost-everything-need-know-maui-fire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maui<\/a> police department, confirming that \u2062they could not record in front of the burn zone \u201cbecause usually that\u2019s the perimeter where they shut down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This encounter prompted O\u2019Keefe to file a lawsuit to challenge what he described \u2062as \u201cthe criminalization of protected First Amendment activity\u201d and \u2062to strip Maui County of its ability to prosecute individuals for exercising their First\u2062 Amendment rights, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/thepostmillennial.com\/james-okeefe-sues-hawaii-for-first-amendment-violations-over-ban-on-public-photography-in-lahaina\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Post \u200dMillenial<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit\u2064 was submitted to the U.S. District Court of\u200b Hawaii and seeks to prevent \u200bthe governor \u2062from \u201cunilaterally criminalizing the fundamental rights of free speech and a free press to which Plaintiffs are guaranteed under both\u2063 the United States \u200cand Hawaii\u200d Constitutions,\u201d\u200b according to The Post Millennial.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">WATCH: James O\u2019Keefe and Attorney Mike\u200b Yoder have\u200b filed\u200c a lawsuit \u200dagainst\u2064 Hawaii Governor to invalidate the criminalization of \u200bprotected First Amendment activity.<\/p>\n<p>Yoder\u2019s mission is twofold: End the suppression\u2063 of electronic media and eliminate criminal provisions against free\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GC6hWfcvjG\">pic.twitter.com\/GC6hWfcvjG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 O\u2019Keefe Media Group (@OKeefeMedia) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OKeefeMedia\/status\/1702806849005723946?\">September 15, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This legal action\u2063 encompasses, in addition to\u2064 O\u2019Keefe, a plaintiff\u2064 identified as John Doe, who faced charges from Maui County for engaging in constitutionally protected First Amendment \u200cactivity while reporting on the fires.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Maui County Sheriff\u2019s Department] officials informed \u2064John Doe that \u200bit was not a law, but rather, the \u2018Emergency Proclamations\u2019 Governor Green had issued regarding the\u2062 Maui wildfires that made his engagement in constitutionally protected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/appeals-court-affirms-biden-likely-violated-first-amendment-suppressing-information-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Amendment<\/a> activity a crime,\u201d the suit said.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit argued that \u200cthe\u200d actions taken by law enforcement following\u2063 the governor\u2019s order infringed upon the due process \u200dclause\u200b of \u2064the Fourteenth Amendment, the Post Millennial reported.<\/p>\n<p>This\u2062 clause stipulates, \u201cNo State shall make or enforce\u2062 any\u2064 law which shall abridge\u2062 the privileges or immunities \u2062of\u2064 citizens of the United States;\u2064 nor shall\u200d any State deprive any person of \u200blife, liberty, or property, without due process \u200bof law; nor\u2062 deny \u200dto any person within its \u2063jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit also asserted that there exists \u2064a \u201cconflict that exists between the State of \u200cHawaii\u2019s criminalization of First \u200dAmendment activity and the First Amendment \u2062to the U.S.\u2063 Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis isn\u2019t merely\u200d about\u2062 the freedom to take \u2063photos,\u201d the O\u2019Keefe Media Group explained on its \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/okeefemediagroup.com\/omgs-james-okeefe-exposes-hawaii-govs-ban-on-public-photography-in-lahaina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a>, \u201cit\u2019s about the freedom of the press and the \u2062right to hold our leaders accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The post \u200c <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/video-okeefe-threatened-arrest-getting-hidden-camera-footage-maui\/\">Video: O&#8217;Keefe Threatened with \u2063Arrest While Getting Hidden-Camera Footage of Maui<\/a> appeared first \u200con <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the arguments made \u2063by O\u2019Keefe Media\u2064 Group in their lawsuit challenging the governor\u2019s order?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Said O\u2019Keefe in the video. \u201cWe have an obligation to record what\u2019s going on here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Keefe Media Group has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the governor\u2019s \u200border and the enforcement actions taken\u2064 by the police officers. The group argues that the order violates\u2064 their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, James O\u2019Keefe expressed his concern over the government\u2019s attempt to stifle the media and prevent them from \u200creporting on important issues. &#8220;This lawsuit is about holding government officials accountable for their actions and ensuring that the public\u2019s right to know is protected,&#8221;\u2064 said O\u2019Keefe.<\/p>\n<p>The O\u2019Keefe Media Group is seeking injunctive relief to prevent the governor and the County of Maui from enforcing the emergency order and interfering\u200b with their ability to gather news\u2063 and \u2064information. They are also\u200b seeking an award of damages for the violation \u200cof their constitutional rights.<\/p>\n<p>This incident has\u200c sparked a debate over the extent of government power and its impact on the freedom of the press. Critics argue that the \u200bemergency\u200d order is being used as a pretext to suppress unfavorable coverage and prevent journalists from exposing any potential government failures in responding \u200dto the wildfires.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit against Governor Josh Green and the County of Maui is just the latest\u200d legal action taken by O\u2019Keefe Media Group. The group is known \u200cfor its investigative journalism and has \u2062previously\u200b exposed corruption and wrongdoing in various sectors \u200cof society.<\/p>\n<p>It remains to be seen how the lawsuit will unfold and whether it\u2062 will set a precedent for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-times-quietly-updates-report-after-calling-hunter-biden-laptop-story-unsubstantiated\/\" title=\"New York Times Quietly Updates Report After Calling Hunter Biden Laptop Story \u2018Unsubstantiated\u2019\">future cases involving<\/a> the freedom of the press and the government\u2019s authority during\u2064 emergencies. For now, the O\u2019Keefe Media Group continues its fight to ensure transparency\u2064 and accountability in government actions.<\/p>\n<p>As\u2063 the case unfolds, it serves\u2064 as a reminder \u2064that the \u200brole of the media is crucial \u200din holding those in power accountable and providing the public with accurate\u2062 and unbiased information. The freedom of the press must be protected to preserve the integrity of democracy and\u2062 ensure that the voices of the people are heard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The O&#8217;Keefe Media Group sues Hawaii&#8217;s Gov. Josh Green and Maui County after founder James O&#8217;Keefe faced arrest threats while filming wildfire aftermath. The incident, recorded on a hidden camera, led to legal action against the authorities involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2358,"featured_media":2033989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2033988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2033988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2358"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2033988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2033988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2033989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2033988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2033988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2033988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}