Mike Beltran sues political group over doctored campaign image

TAMPA, Fla. - Former State Rep. Mike Beltran sued a political action committee that he says forged an image of him that did not depict reality, and that it failed to disclose it was built with AI — as required under Florida law.

"I never did what was depicted in those graphics," said Beltran.

Tampa Bay election lawsuit

What we know:

Republican voters in the 14th congressional district are getting mailers and texts showing a doctored image of Beltran holding a "defund the police" sign. The political action committee behind it, called "Conservative Solutions for America," appears to be aligning itself with one of Beltran's opponents, Kevin Steele.

But, the ad leaves off a crucial disclaimer mandated by state law for AI-generated content.

"Politics has been very dirty long before AI," said Beltran. "But, it certainly gives them another tool."

Beltran sued and won a temporary restraining order. The head of Conservative Solutions for America told FOX 13 that the law doesn't apply to Federal candidates, and that it's moot, because it was created with a standard Photoshop program and not AI. 

Dig deeper:

Beltran's opponent, Kevin Steele, says he had nothing to do with the ad, but agreed with the basis of the claim. He is concerned about what AI means for the future of politics.

"With your voice, your recording, all they need is a couple of words that come out of your mouth, and then they can replicate your voice," said Steele.

UCF politics professor Aubrey Jewett says this kind of technology is an escalating threat to elections. He says about 30 states have AI in politics disclosure laws, but that actually stopping its use is tricky, if not impossible.

"The First Amendment of the Constitution gives people the right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and particularly in campaigns," said Jewett.

Campaign spending dispute

The backstory:

As for the claim itself, Beltran said the "defund the police" argument is bunk, because it's based on a beef he had in 2024 with total spending.

"That was the reason for my vote [on the budget], and I never voted to defund the police," he said. "In fact, I voted for bills that prohibited municipalities and counties from defunding the police."

Primary battle outlook

What's next:

As for the race between Steele and Beltran, both candidates pointed us to polls showing themselves in the lead. But, it appears there are still lots of undecided voters.

They are fighting for the right to take on longtime Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor in the newly-drawn 14th district.

FloridaPoliticsArtificial Intelligence