Naindeep Singh AI image incident — Oct 2026

A political action committee distributed AI-generated mailers featuring manipulated images of Fresno City Council candidate Naindeep Singh to influence voters. The campaign materials, which appeared in mailboxes following Singh's exoneration regarding a DUI arrest, drew sharp criticism for their deceptive nature and use of AI to fabricate political associations.

What happened

The mailers were funded and distributed by a political action committee (PAC) named Fresno Healthy Communities, which is controlled by Solomon Verduzco with Alena Pacheco serving as treasurer. The group is sponsored by the Central Valley Council, a PAC founded by political consultant Alex Tavlian. The campaign utilized AI to generate images that Singh stated were false, including a depiction of him alongside President Trump, whom he has never met. Additionally, Singh identified other AI-generated mailers that employed racial stereotypes, suggesting he would support opening liquor or smoke shops near elementary schools.

The PAC's name caused significant confusion, as it closely resembles the name of a longstanding nonprofit, Fresno Building Healthy Communities. CEO Sandra Celedon reported that the nonprofit received a flood of angry messages from community members who mistakenly believed the organization was responsible for the political attacks. Celedon noted that this tactic of using names with positive connotations to obscure the true source of political messaging is a recurring strategy associated with Tavlian. Neither the PAC responsible for the mailers nor its sponsor maintains a website, making it difficult for voters to verify the origin of the materials. While Fresno Healthy Communities eventually retracted the mailer concerning Singh's arrest after he was cleared by a toxicology report, the incident highlights the growing use of AI-generated imagery to manipulate voter perception in local elections.