It is believed to be the first criminal prosecution of a politician for AI-related offenses in New York, according to The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to prosecutors, Rinaldi \u201croutinely and deliberately created and posted AI-generated images on his official social media accounts that falsely depicted endorsements from individuals and organizations that had not backed his candidacy and in fact, backed the opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n Jonathan Rinaldi. Prosecutors allege he also falsely claimed endorsements from local elected officials and organizations, including the Queens Jewish Association, a local police precinct, a public elementary school and a nonpartisan Asian American political club.<\/p>\n All the charges are related to his 2025 New York City Council race<\/a>, but Rinaldi has continued to use AI to support his campaign for the New York State Assembly this year and disparage his opponents.<\/p>\n In April, he posted<\/a> what was allegedly an AI-altered video of his opponent, incumbent Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, saying \u201cForest Hills homeowners, I\u2019ve been stealing from you and there\u2019s nothing you can do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n He also posted an allegedly fake video of Hevesi, a Democrat, smiling with President Donald Trump<\/a>. The fake version of the president, whose voice does not remotely resemble Trump\u2019s actual speaking voice, calls Hevesi a \u201cking like me.\u201d<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Rinaldi told reporters after his arraignment, \u201cI posted stuff on social media. So they arrested me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m allowed just like anybody else, to make any kind of content that I want,\u201d he said, according to the Times. \u201cAnd there\u2019s absolutely nothing that anybody can say or do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n He also claimed First Amendment protections, arguing \u201cThe First Amendment is absolute\u201d and that \u201cI\u2019m allowed just like anybody else to make any kind of content that I want,\u201d according to the New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n PEOPLE has reached out to Rinaldi for further comment.<\/p>\n Jonathan David Rinaldi in a 2025 video by the New York City Campaign Finance Board. \u201cEnough is enough. In today\u2019s world it is important to hold people accountable for materially misrepresenting facts,\u201d Katz, the district attorney, said in a press release<\/a>. \u201cAs alleged, the defendant used AI to replace factual political support and launched fabricated attacks against his opponent as fact in a deliberate effort to mislead voters ahead of a City Council election.\u201d<\/p>\n In the courtroom on Wednesday, Rinaldi was reprimanded by Judge Indira Khan as he smirked during proceedings, according to the Times.<\/p>\n \u201cSir, this is not a joking matter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Over the years, Rinaldi has unsuccessfully sought political office as a member of numerous political parties, including the Republican Party, the Conservative Party, the Mad as Hell Party, the Medical Freedom Party and the Parent Party.<\/p>\n This year, Rinaldi ran as a Democrat in the Tuesday, June 23, primary, earning just 906 votes against Hevesi\u2019s 6,749, according to the New York State Board of Elections<\/a>. The next morning, he was arrested.<\/p>\n He told a Queens newspaper<\/a> earlier this year that he plans to run on the \u201cNo Kings\u201d party line in the November general election.<\/p>\n Rinaldi, whom the New York Post<\/a> dubbed \u201cThe Sperminator\u201d in 2023, has made headlines in New York for years as he has protested vaccine mandates and migrant shelters. He has also frequently had the police called on him and been hit with trespassing tickets<\/a> for entering politicians\u2019 offices to challenge them to debates or serve them papers.<\/p>\n Jonathan Rinaldi, a right-wing activist, tries to recover after being pepper sprayed just before he was to lead a small demonstration to protest a hotel housing migrants on June 4, 2023, in Queens, N.Y.![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cc010f4b7db8af9c30277d78de303966.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Arthur Roldan\/Instagram<\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2312e3d568fef2a6b9d966efbdfd8983.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: NYC Votes and NYC Campaign Finance Board\/YouTube<\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ad2ef243db3fb42179e7e4131c4e7fde.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Andrew Lichtenstein\/Corbis via Getty<\/p>\n