The intersection of politics and technology has taken a dramatic turn with the recent arrest of Jonathan Rinaldi, a former New York City Council candidate from Queens. Rinaldi is accused of using artificial intelligence to generate fake endorsements and news articles, a move that has sparked a heated debate about free speech and election integrity.
Rinaldi, 47, was arrested outside his home and now faces up to two years in prison if convicted. His case highlights the growing challenges lawmakers face in regulating AI-generated content in political campaigns.
Allegations of AI-Generated Forgeries
The Queens District Attorney’s office has charged Rinaldi with third-degree forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Prosecutors allege that Rinaldi used AI to create doctored photos and fabricated news articles to mislead voters during his unsuccessful bid for a City Council seat in Queens last year.
Among the most egregious allegations is the creation of a fake endorsement from the Queens Jewish Alliance. The AI-generated post used the organization’s authentic logo and a legitimate-looking endorsement sheet. When confronted by the head of the Queens Jewish Alliance in a recorded phone call, Rinaldi reportedly stated, “When you are trying to fight against the establishment, I have to use every available tool that’s at my disposal.”
In another instance, Rinaldi allegedly fabricated a New York Post story claiming that then-Council Member Robert Holden, a Democrat, had endorsed him. The fake story was accompanied by a doctored photo generated by an AI platform, which Rinaldi prompted with specific instructions to swap faces in the image.
The Legal Landscape of AI in Politics
The rapid advancement of AI technology has posed significant challenges for lawmakers. Over half of the states have implemented regulations to protect voters from being misled by AI-generated content. These regulations often require disclosure and, in some cases, impose criminal penalties. However, the laws Rinaldi is accused of violating predate the rise of AI.
Under New York law, a person commits third-degree forgery when they falsely make, complete, or alter a written instrument with the intent to defraud, deceive, or injure another. The term “written instrument” includes online writings capable of being used to the advantage or disadvantage of some person.
The district attorney’s complaint alleges numerous instances of Rinaldi using AI to generate doctored photos, including one of his Democratic opponent, Lynn Schulman, appearing to wear a shirt that read “Hot Girls for Zohran.” This reference to the city’s Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was allegedly intended to hurt her support in the largely Jewish neighborhood of Forest Hills.
Rinaldi also posted AI-generated videos appearing to show endorsements from a police precinct and an elementary school, both of which are public institutions that do not allow political endorsements.
The Broader Implications
Rinaldi’s case is not an isolated incident. The accessible nature of AI technology has punctuated U.S. races this year. For example, in a GOP U.S. House primary in Kentucky, an AI-created ad depicted Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie going on a romantic date with progressive U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.
A New York law adopted in 2026 requires disclosures of deepfakes in campaign materials and allows candidates who are targeted by them to go to court to block their dissemination. Despite these regulations, the use of AI in political campaigns continues to evolve, presenting new challenges for lawmakers and voters alike.
Rinaldi’s legal troubles do not end with the forgery charges. He was also on the ballot in the Democratic primary for state Assembly, where he was defeated by incumbent Andrew Hevesi. During the campaign, Hevesi accused Rinaldi of fraudulently submitting documents to change his party registration, rendering him ineligible for the primary. Hevesi subsequently changed his party registration back, and Rinaldi denied having submitted the paperwork.
As the legal battle unfolds, Rinaldi maintains that his actions are a matter of free speech. In a phone interview with The Associated Press, he stated, “I got arrested for social media posts. This is an issue that strikes at the heart of our First Amendment freedoms—not just for me, but for everybody.”
