By Thomas J. Morgan
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Controversial conservative activist James O'Keefe, whose secret videotaping stings in 2009 brought down the community organizing group ACORN and prompted the resignation of the chief executive officer of National Public Radio earlier this month, is scheduled to speak Wednesday evening at Providence College.

Timothy Dionisopoulos, a senior and a member of the Providence College Republicans, which is sponsoring O'Keefe's appearance, said Tuesday that the organization invited O'Keefe because he "is the most successful activist in the country."

O'Keefe, Dionisopoulos said, "has done more in the past two years with undercover journalism than most politicians do in a lifetime."

Posing as a pimp and accompanied by a woman claiming to be an underage prostitute, O'Keefe sought advice from a member of ACORN, taping the interview surreptitiously. The release of the video caused a furor and although ACORN was cleared of any wrongdoing, the incident prompted Congress to cut off federal funding to the organization.

In a more recent episode, O'Keefe and a companion posed as members of a Muslim group that claimed to have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. At lunch with NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller, who is not related to Vivian Schiller and who has since resigned, they taped the interview undercover and released remarks by Ron Schiller that were critical of the Tea Party, calling it racist.

Critics have charged that O'Keefe edited the videotape to give a misleading impression of Ron Schiller's remarks.

O'Keefe's talk at PC is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Moore Hall on the PC campus.