Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Hannah Giles is an American conservative activist, journalist, and researcher who first gained national attention in 2009 at age 19 when she partnered with James O'Keefe on an undercover investigation targeting the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). She posed as a prostitute seeking assistance for her fictitious prostitution ring while O'Keefe used hidden cameras to record interactions with ACORN employees at several offices. The selectively edited videos were published on BigGovernment.com and created significant controversy, depicting ACORN staff providing advice on evading taxes and concealing illegal activities, sparking national outrage, congressional investigations, and contributing to ACORN's defunding and eventual dissolution. The footage faced criticism for entrapment and misleading editing, and ACORN filed a defamation lawsuit against Giles, O'Keefe, and others, which was settled out of court in 2013 with no admission of wrongdoing.
Following the ACORN scandal, Giles continued her work in conservative activism and investigative journalism. She co-founded the American Phoenix Foundation with her husband Joseph Basel, an organization focused on training journalists for investigative work and promoting conservative values, which operated until at least early 2017. She has been involved with Project Veritas, a right-wing nonprofit known for undercover sting operations. In June 2023, she was appointed CEO of Project Veritas, succeeding the ousted founder James O'Keefe, where she oversaw operations focused on exposing corruption and ideological biases. Her tenure was brief; she resigned in December 2023, citing an 'unsalvageable mess' with 'strong evidence of past illegality and past financial improprieties' which she reported to law enforcement.
Giles maintains a low personal profile and is married to Joseph Basel, a fellow conservative activist. Her career has been defined by undercover sting operations and leadership within conservative media organizations, drawing praise from conservative circles for its boldness while facing criticism from opponents who label it as deceptive and politically motivated, with her projects often facing legal challenges and ethical scrutiny.