Ex-FBI Agent Sues James O’Keefe Over Alleged Fake Date Sting.
Jamie Mannina spent years serving his country as an FBI agent, a Pentagon contractor, and a trusted national security professional. But one night out with the wrong person, he says, cost him everything.
In a lawsuit filed this week in federal court, Mannina accuses conservative media figure James O’Keefe and the O’Keefe Media Group of orchestrating a deceptive sting operation involving a fake online dating profile, hidden cameras, and edited videos meant to discredit him.
The case is already drawing national attention and it comes with public backing from Mannina’s attorney, Mark Zaid, who took to social media to denounce the sting as an abuse of undercover journalism tactics.
When you retain a lawyer, please have them contact me @JamesOKeefeIII. In the meantime, are you willing to accept service of Complaint? You sound ready to defend yourself, so let's move forward.
Btw, I represent many actual journalists & they're not concerned. https://t.co/G84UTvoj2t
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) May 15, 2025
According to the complaint, Jamie Mannina matched with a woman on a dating app who claimed to be a liberal nurse. Over drinks and conversation, he shared what he thought were private political views, opinions that were secretly recorded.
The footage was later edited and published online by the O’Keefe Media Group, portraying Mannina as a “Top Pentagon Advisor” who allegedly spoke against Donald Trump and discussed military affairs.
Within days of the video’s release, Mannina was terminated from his position at Booz Allen Hamilton, a prominent defense contractor.
Zaid says the sting crossed the line from journalism into personal sabotage.
“There’s nothing illegal about using a dating app,” Zaid told reporters. “But when that deception is used to manipulate someone into damaging themselves and then publicly broadcast to ruin their career, that’s defamation. That’s fraud. And we’re going to hold them accountable.”
The lawsuit alleges defamation, false light invasion of privacy, fraudulent misrepresentation, and violations of the federal Wiretap Act.
It also challenges the portrayal of Mannina as a senior Pentagon official, arguing that his actual role was overstated to increase the viral impact of the videos.
James O’Keefe, best known for his controversial undercover video campaigns targeting liberal organizations and government agencies, has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
In the past, he has defended his operations as legal and protected under First Amendment rights, noting that D.C. law allows for one-party consent in recordings.
Crowdfunding a Legal Fight
To support Mannina’s legal battle, attorney Mark Zaid launched a GoFundMe campaign, calling on the public to help fund what he described as a fight against politically motivated deception and reputational harm.
“We continue to fight back against those who cannot tolerate & instead seek to punish different political viewpoints,” Zaid wrote on X.
“But we cannot do so without your help. Please consider donating to help our legal effort hold #JamesOKeefe accountable.”
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