Rep. Moran's Son Resigns From Campaign After Secret Video Release

Republicans call for investigation

Pat Moran, the son of Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), has resigned from his position as a field director for his father's campaign after the release of a secretly recorded video appearing to show the son offer advice on how to commit voter fraud.

The shaky video portrays an unflattering image of Pat Moran shot by a person undercover with conservative activist James O'Keefe's group Project Veritas. O'Keefe and his associates are known for secretly recording members of ACORN and NPR, as well as for trying to tamper with the phones of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). O'Keefe pleaded guilty to the latter in 2010. 

Project Veritas' latest recording in an Arlington restaurant shows an unnamed videographer walking up to Pat Moran and soliciting advice for how to cast 100 fraudulent ballots. In the scratchy clip that follows, the congressman's son tells the videographer to call the names on his list to make certain they didn't already cast ballots.

"Before doing that, I would call these people up and just make sure that they're not planning on …" Pat Moran is heard saying.

"So make sure they're not going to vote? Just call and ask and make sure," the videographer clarifies.

"Yeah, call them up and try to get their feeling on the election, because these people very well could have … early voted" Moran says. 

Pat Moran is repeatedly heard telling the person that his energy would be better spent helping with legal "Get Out The Vote" efforts, though he also repeatedly calls the videographer's attempts to conduct voter fraud hardcore.

The recording is marked Oct. 8. The campaign has released a statement calling the incident  an error in judgment. In a statement released late yesterday, Pat Moran denied any wrongdoing, but added that he resigned because he didn't want to be a "distraction" in midst of this year's election. He told the Associated Press that he thought the peson approaching him was unstable and was only humoring him.

"If this is the attitude of senior operatives working on Democratic congressional campaigns or with the Democratic Party, this is really serious, says Charles Hokanson, chairman of the Arlington County Republicans. "And there does appear to be the potential that state and federal laws were violated. So I think an investigation is warranted."

Arlington police have begun an investigation.