Attorney General Lynn Fitch (Photo from Lynn Fitch campaign)
- Attorney General Lynn Fitch also asked Colom and his campaign to preserve all records related to this matter so as not to obstruct justice “as violations of this election integrity law can carry criminal penalties.”
Attorney General Lynn Fitch has notified Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Scott Colom and his campaign, Scott Colom for Senate, that their AI-generated ads on their social media platforms appear to violate State law against the use of “deepfakes” to influence elections.
The action comes after the Mississippi Republican Party asked the Attorney General to investigate and seek injunctive relief over the Democrat’s AI generated video that shows images of a woman generated to look like incumbent U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith exiting what is assumed to be the U.S. Capitol.
The Attorney General asked Colom to remove the ads “or else the office may file an injunction as authorized by law.”
Attorney General Fitch also asked Colom and his campaign to preserve all records related to this matter so as not to obstruct justice “as violations of this election integrity law can carry criminal penalties.”
The AG added that violations of Section 97-13-47 of the Mississippi Code carry penalties of up to 5 years in prison and/or fines of up to $10,000 if the intent is to “deter any person from voting.”
Other violations carry penalties of up 1 year in prison and/or fines of up to $5,000.
