New York City Council candidate is accused of forgery over AI-generated posts

A former New York City Council candidate, Jonathan Rinaldi, was arrested Wednesday and charged with forgery after prosecutors alleged he used artificial intelligence to create and post fake endorsements and news-style content on social media. Rinaldi, 47, unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for a council seat from Queens last year and could face up to two years in prison if convicted. In an Associated Press phone interview, he called the case a First Amendment matter and said he would not confirm or deny whether he made the posts or generated the images involved. Prosecutors said one Facebook and Instagram post claimed an endorsement from the Queens Jewish Alliance, using the group’s authentic logo and a convincing endorsement sheet. Another alleged fabricated a New York Post story featuring Council Member Robert Holden, and prosecutors say an AI prompt used a face-swap to alter an image. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the alleged use of AI to misrepresent support and mislead voters violated criminal standards, especially ahead of a City Council election.