The fabricated texts show Wilkinson asking “Holden” if he endorsed Rinaldi.
The fake Holden responds, “Yes.”
“They are saying you didn’t,” Wilkinson responded.
“He’s a common sense candidate with common sense endorsements,” the fake Holden answered.
“Jonathan Rinaldi’s behavior is deeply troubling and completely unacceptable,” the real Holden told the Eagle in a statement. “Using AI to fabricate endorsements and edit a fake text to mislead voters shows he’s not fit for public office.”
Rinaldi continued to deny he was the one making the posts in text messages last week.
“I personally did not make any of them and now you are all scared because I’m going to win,” he said.
“I am not misleading anyone, I’m telling the truth that they all know and believe,” he added.
Though the posts have riled up a number of people, it’s unclear if there will be any consequences for Rinaldi.
“There are some Campaign Finance Board rules that this conduct seems to violate, but enforcement might require one or more of these people to file a complaint,” said election lawyer Sarah Steiner.
Rinaldi has not successfully qualified for public matching funds with the Campaign Finance Board due to a host of reasons, including not turning in certain documents and having discrepancies in the ones he did file.
Had he been able to get the funds, the CFB may be more inclined to take action against him.
“There is extra scrutiny, even of conduct, when public funds are involved,” Steiner said. “But not much to do at the moment unless he had qualified.”
The city’s Campaign Finance Board declined to comment.
When asked if she has or would consider making a complaint, Schulman said she was focused on her re-election campaign and “engaging with [her] community on the issues that matter most to them.”
Steiner said that the posts could be considered dangerous and misleading.
“This sort of use of AI is a perfect example of its dangers,” she said. “AI has the potential to mislead people. In addition, history a few years or decades from now may not be able to be clear on what really happened, and what was created.”
His campaign otherwise has not gained much traction, with no real endorsements and little in the way of fundraising.
Rinaldi has only netted $100 for his campaign in a single donation from Flushing lawyer David Bellon, who unsuccessfully ran for a Supreme Court spot in Queens last year.
Although his public reach is limited, Rinaldi’s fake posts have misled some who have commented on them, congratulating him for the endorsements he didn’t get.
Since entering the public sphere in 2023 when he challenged Councilmember Jim Gennaro, Rinaldi has gained a reputation for causing trouble. He’s been accused of harassing political opponents on the campaign trail.
He also has become a fixture at a number of local community boards. One community board leader said they worry every time he signs up to speak at a meeting.