An Oklahoma state representative stepped down from his re-election campaign after it was revealed he sent an artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake to a woman of them kissing.
John Waldron, 57, announced on Monday that he would end his bid for re-election after it was revealed he sent a deepfake to a woman, who was not identified.
Waldron told NonDoc that he made the AI image while he was under ‘enormous personal stress.’
‘I made a mistake, which I instantly regretted. I’ve accepted every consequence that was asked of me,’ he told the outlet. ‘I’ve done a lot of personal work. I’m still deeply regretful for making that decision.’
In his announcement on social media, Waldron told his constituents, including those from Northeast Tulsa, he had been going to therapy to ‘become a better person.’
‘I sacrificed my integrity, doing something which was wrong and [I] understand what I did was wrong,’ he wrote.
The politician said it was of ‘utmost importance’ to keep the woman’s identity private, as was her request.
‘Stepping aside is the right thing to do for the people of District 77 and for me to continue my personal therapy to be a better person,’ he said.
John Waldron, 57, made an AI deepfake of himself and a woman kissing and then sent it to her
Waldron announced on Monday that he would be ending his bid for reelection over the scandal
Waldron, the former chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, reportedly met with the victim, who was a potential candidate for office, in December. After the meeting, he made the AI deepfake of them, NonDoc reported.
He told the outlet he didn’t mean to send the AI-generated GIF to her, calling it a ‘foolish mistake on my part.’
Waldron, who has held his position since 2018, filed for re-election last week. His name will stay on the June 16 ballot as he withdrew after filing for the bid.
Last week, the Democratic Caucus said it would not back the former teacher for re-election and asked him to withdraw his bid.
‘I want to make it very clear that Rep. Waldron was asked multiple times by caucus leadership to step down and not seek re-election,’ House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson said in a statement.
N’Kiyla ‘Jasmine’ Thomas, who is running for the US Senate, released a statement in the wake of Waldron’s scandal, stating that although she gave him her support in June, she didn’t know him outside of one interaction.
He said he was seeking therapy and would not be revealing who the victim was
N’Kiyla ‘Jasmine’ Thomas, who is running for the US Senate, released a statement in the wake of Waldron’s scandal stating that she was withdrawing her support for him
‘At the time, I was a new candidate who had already experienced disappointment with prior party leadership. Rep. Waldron took the time to sit down with me, listen to my concerns, and made me feel supported, and that mattered to me,’ she wrote.
‘That said, I did not know him beyond that interaction. And had I known anything like what’s being reported now, I would have never supported his candidacy… I believe women. I take all allegations of harassment and misconduct seriously.’
