Blakeman hit with New York ethics complaint over…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman faces an ethics complaint for allegedly using undisclosed AI-generated deepfakes in political advertisements
- Incident date
- Aug 2026
- Target
- Kathy Hochul, Zohran Mamdani
In August 2026, the New York Democratic Committee filed an ethics complaint against gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, alleging his campaign used undisclosed AI-generated content in political advertisements. The complaint argues that these materials violate state election laws requiring explicit disclosure of manipulated imagery.
What happened
The controversy centers on AI-generated videos released by the Blakeman for New York committee. One video featured a digital likeness of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani portrayed as a grocery store clerk, while another depicted Governor Kathy Hochul walking through homeless encampments while discussing tax and energy policy. New York Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs stated that these ads are an attempt to distort reality by manipulating the subjects to say and do things they have not.
Jacobs filed the complaint with the New York State Board of Elections, claiming the campaign has repeatedly disregarded statutory mandates regarding the disclosure of altered imagery. The complaint further alleges that the campaign is utilizing public matching funds to support activities that violate state election law. Jacobs has requested that the Board of Elections and the New York Public Campaign Finance Board Enforcement unit ensure that disclaimer obligations are applied consistently to prevent the misuse of state funds for such content. As of the filing, the Blakeman campaign had not responded to the specific allegations regarding the advertisements.