NYC council candidate charged over AI fakes; what Fresno campaigns must know
Prosecutors in New York charged a former council candidate with forgery tied to AI-generated endorsements. California campaigns face their own AI disclosure rules this fall.
NYC council candidate charged over AI fakes; what Fresno campaigns must know
Key Takeaways
- New York prosecutors charged ex-council candidate Jonathan Rinaldi with forgery over AI-made endorsements and posts.
- California law requires certain political ads to disclose when AI created or altered the content.
- A separate California deepfake law allowing private lawsuits is on hold after a 2024 federal injunction.
- Suspected ad violations can be reported to the state FPPC’s AdWATCH program.
The arrest came first, then the quote. In Queens, former New York City Council candidate Jonathan Rinaldi, 47, was taken into custody and charged with forgery over allegations he used AI to create fake endorsements and doctored news posts during his run. In Fresno County, the elections office that will oversee November’s local races is pointing campaigns to California’s disclosure rules for AI-made ads. That is the part that reaches us here.
What prosecutors say happened
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz alleges Rinaldi posted phony endorsements on Facebook and Instagram, including one that borrowed the logo and a mock endorsement sheet from the Queens Jewish Alliance. Another post mimicked a New York Post article claiming Council Member Robert Holden backed him. Charging papers even quote an AI prompt tied to a doctored handshake photo: “face swap the man on the left.” Rinaldi told AP, “I got arrested for social media posts,” calling it a free speech issue. The charges, third‑degree forgery and possession of a forged instrument, carry up to two years. Different problem, same tool.
What California requires on AI ads
California’s Political Reform Act now requires a clear disclosure on qualified political advertisements that are “generated or substantially altered using artificial intelligence.” The language is specific, and it has to be displayed the same way other “paid for by” disclosures appear. The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) enforces ad rules and takes complaints through its AdWATCH portal, which accepts screenshots and links from voters. None of that changes what prosecutors can do with forgery or fraud laws, but the disclosure mandate is statewide.
One more note for campaigns: a 2024 law that would have let people sue over certain election deepfakes was paused by a federal judge on First Amendment grounds. That injunction doesn’t touch the disclosure requirement above, which still applies this cycle.
What this means in the Valley
Fresno County has a full slate on Nov. 3, from city council to school boards and county races. The local elections office, led by County Clerk/Registrar of Voters James A. Kus, administers the nuts and bolts, while the FPPC polices ad disclosures. If a committee posts an AI-altered endorsement graphic, the disclosure rules kick in, and fabricating the seal or support of a public agency could invite other trouble. The New York case shows prosecutors do not need a special “AI crime” to file a forgery count when a fake is passed off as real.
At the county elections counter on Kern Street, a stack of “I Voted” stickers sat by the lobby window.
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