Clinton Campaign Planted Protesters at Trump Rallies, Undercover Video Shows

Oct 21, 2016 12:07 PM EDT

An undercover investigation alleges that the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton paid people specifically to disrupt campaign gatherings of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Project Veritas released part of undercover videos showing Scott Foval, who used to be connected with the progressive group Americans United for Change, talking about hiring people to “start confrontations” at Trump rallies.

Foval was caught in the 16-minute video saying that mentally ill persons and the homeless were among those hired to initiate conflict. He said his group had been paying off “a few homeless guys to do some crazy stuff “ for 20 years.

Foval also said the planted protesters would begin disrupting the Trump rallies while they were still in the line and not yet inside so that media can cover the situation. He referred to the strategy as “conflict engagement.”

“They’re starting confrontations in the line, right?” Foval said. “They’re not starting confrontations in the rally. Because once they’re inside the rally, they’re under Secret Service control. When they’re outside the rally, the media will cover it no matter where it happens. The key is initiating the conflict by having leading conversations with people who are naturally psychotic,” he added.

Foval employed the “bird-dogging” tactic, which aimed to establish the idea that anarchy often erupts at Trump rallies. This tactic involves people who appear to be most vulnerable, such as the disabled, to create a greater impact.

According to the conversations recorded in the video, they chose in advance which persons to provoke, and they chose specific spots in the area where the cameras are sure to catch the confrontations.

The planted protesters would sometimes wear Planned Parenthood shirts or shirts that bore the print ‘Trump is a Nazi,’ Foval said in the video.

“I mean, honestly, it’s not hard to get some of these assholes to pop off,” Foval boasted. “It’s a matter of showing up, to want to get into the rally, in a Planned Parenthood T-shirt. Or, ‘Trump is a Nazi,’ you know. You can message to draw them out, and draw them to punch you.”

Foval also mentioned he worked directly with the Democratic National Committee and Clinton’s campaign.

“We are contracted directly with the DNC and the campaign both. I answer to the head of special events for the DNC and the head of special events and political for the campaign.”

The group Americans United for Change fired Foval and distanced itself from him shortly after the undercover videos went out.

“Americans United for Change has always operated according to the highest ethical and legal standards,” the organization said in a statement. “Scott Foval is no longer associated with Americans United for Change.”

The Project Veritas videos showed convicted felon Robert Creamer working together with Clinton’s campaign staff and the DNC in employing provocative strategies. In one particular video, he admitted Clinton is aware of everything he and his team are doing, Breitbart News reported.

Foval is one of Creamer’s consultants.

In a statement Wednesday, Creamer said he is “stepping back” from Clinton’s campaign.

"I am unwilling to become a distraction to the important task of electing Hilary Clinton, and defeating Donald Trump in the upcoming election," Creamer said. "As a result I have indicated to the Democratic National Committee that I am stepping back from my responsibilities working with the campaign."

In another video, Alan Schulkin, New York Democratic Commissioner of the Board of Elections, was recorded saying “there is a lot of voter fraud.”

He said during election, people were transported from poll to poll so that certain candidates would get more votes. Schulkin said voters should be asked to present a voter I.D., but the state does not have laws requiring them to do so.

Schulkin also said there are “thousands” of absentee ballots.

“There is a lot of fraud,” Schulkin said. “Not just voter fraud, all kinds of fraud.”