This is a research prototype. The data and analyses are preliminary and not yet validated — we'd welcome your .
A former New York City Council candidate was charged with forgery after using AI tools to create and distribute fake political endorsements and fabricated news articles during his 2025 campaign. The defendant used AI to generate images, videos, and articles that falsely depicted support from public figures, institutions, and news outlets, and falsely claimed his opponent had withdrawn from the race. The case highlights the use of AI in political fraud and election interference.
Queens prosecutors alleged that former City Council candidate Jonathan Rinaldi used AI during his 2025 campaign to manufacture the appearance of political support through posts made to resemble authentic endorsements and news coverage. The material reportedly attributed backing to public figures and institutions that had not provided it and falsely claimed that opponent Lynn Schulman had withdrawn. Rinaldi was charged with forgery and possession of forged instruments.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to gain a personal advantage over others such as through cheating, fraud, scams, blackmail or targeted manipulation of beliefs or behavior. Examples include AI-facilitated plagiarism for research or education, impersonating a trusted or fake individual for illegitimate financial benefit, or creating humiliating or sexual imagery.
Also classified as
The defendant generated and spread highly specific false news articles and fabricated videos, such as claiming his opponent had dropped out of the race.
The defendant used AI tools to fabricate endorsements and impersonate legitimate organizations and individuals for personal political gain, which constitutes targeted manipulation and fraud.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
The incident was caused by the deliberate actions of a human candidate who intentionally used deployed AI tools to generate and distribute forged political endorsements.
Added categories peak at 2: Minor (Epistemic Harm, Direct)
A former NYC Council candidate used Google Gemini and OpenAI Sora to fabricate political endorsements, news articles, and videos to mislead voters. While demonstrating the evolving threat of AI-generated disinformation in democratic processes, the national security impact remains minor as it was a localized municipal incident quickly addressed by law enforcement.
The AI systems (Google Gemini and OpenAI Sora) were used as tools by the defendant, who provided specific prompts to generate images, text, and videos based on direct inputs.
Risk Level 3: Limited Risk. The incident involves the creation of AI-generated content such as deepfakes (face-swapped images and synthetic videos), which are subject to transparency obligations under the EU AI Act.
The defendant primarily used AI to perform face-swaps on images and generate synthetic videos of fake police officers, children, and news anchors to fabricate endorsements.
The report is an official press release from the Queens District Attorney's office, providing precise details about the defendant's actions, specific AI prompts used, platforms involved (Gemini, Sora), and the legal charges. There is very little ambiguity regarding what transpired.
None
Technology
Generative Video Tools
Sora enabled creation of realistic fake news broadcasts to deceive voters.
AI Face-Swapping Software
Allowed candidate to easily transplant his face onto endorsement photos.
Multimodal AI Assistants
Gemini facilitated rapid editing and generation of fake news headlines.
Data Inputs
Unsecured Public Images
Source photos were easily harvested from public social media accounts.
Proprietary Brand Assets
Legitimate media logos were imported to make fake news look authentic.
Human Factors
Intentional Voter Deception
Candidate deliberately used AI as 'asymmetrical warfare' to mislead.
Process and Methods
Inadequate Prompt Filtering
AI platforms failed to block prompts designed to generate fake news.
Social Media Dissemination
Platforms hosted and spread manipulated media without instant verification.
Management
Unchecked Campaign Leadership
Candidate managed his own campaign without ethical oversight or controls.
Regulatory Environment
Weak AI Campaign Regulations
Lack of immediate legal barriers to stop AI-driven political forgery.
AI system involved
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
