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RandySF

(87,088 posts)
Fri Jun 5, 2026, 03:56 AM Yesterday

MN-SEN: PAC ad attacking Flangan could be first test of law banning election 'deepfakes'

A political action committee (PAC) television ad airing in the Twin Cities is drawing complaints from the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan.

“Before running for Senate, Peggy Flanagan raised a staggering amount from corporate special interests,” the ad says, showing an apparently altered image of her putting her hand out for corporate donations.

A state law passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2023 bans “deepfake” ads in elections within 90 days of when early voting begins. The law prohibits altering any video, photo or audio “that is so realistic that a reasonable person would believe it depicts speech or conduct of an individual who did not in fact engage in such speech or conduct.”

“A deepfake is something that is so realistic that a reasonable person wouldn’t know that it wasn’t real,” says Sen. Erin Maye Quade (DFL-Apple Valley), the Senate author of the law in 2023.



https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/pac-ad-attacking-flangan-could-be-first-test-of-law-banning-election-deepfakes/

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MN-SEN: PAC ad attacking Flangan could be first test of law banning election 'deepfakes' (Original Post) RandySF Yesterday OP
The Flanagan-attacking PAC is pro Angie Craig, the centrist No Labels Problem Solver and AIPAC and crypto darling Celerity Yesterday #1
Thanks for posting those details. MineralMan 19 hrs ago #3
When I first saw that ad, I thought it was being run by MineralMan 19 hrs ago #2
Thank Goodness No Tattoos Are Involved MineralMan 18 hrs ago #4

Celerity

(55,126 posts)
1. The Flanagan-attacking PAC is pro Angie Craig, the centrist No Labels Problem Solver and AIPAC and crypto darling
Fri Jun 5, 2026, 04:28 AM
Yesterday
https://www.northstardawn.com/

Craig voted for the racist Laken Riley Act last year, and was the first battleground district Democratic member of Congress to call for Biden not to run in 2024.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angie_Craig

snip

In the 117th Congress, she voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time. Craig broke more frequently with the Biden administration in 2023, voting in line with the president's positions 70.6% of the time, the fourth-lowest rate of any House member in the Democratic caucus.

Craig has self-identified and been described as a centrist moderate Democrat. She co-chaired the centrist New Democrat Coalition. On February 1, 2023, Craig was one of 12 Democrats to vote for a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.

In September 2024, the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC bundled more than $200,000 to her 2024 campaign and praised her "solid commitment" to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Craig was one of the 16 Democrats who voted with Republicans to stop the Biden administration from withholding military aid to Israel.

The pro-crypto Super PAC Fairshake spent more than $1.1 million to boost Craig's 2024 reelection campaign. It was the second-biggest spender in her district. Craig sits on the Agriculture Committee panel with jurisdiction over the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which plays a role in regulating cryptocurrency. She earned the rating "strongly supports crypto" from the cryptocurrency advocacy group Stand With Crypto. Craig has said digital assets will have "a major role in the next wave of technological innovation globally".

snip

MineralMan

(151,796 posts)
3. Thanks for posting those details.
Fri Jun 5, 2026, 10:24 AM
19 hrs ago

All are correct.

Craig has made some strange votes in the House. Puzzling. More puzzling was her failure to show up at the DFL convention to make a bid for the endorsement for Senate. Very strange for that to happen.'

This bogus ad is shocking to me. I first thought it was from the Republican candidate.

I think Flanagan walks away with the primary and General election. She has my vote in both.

MineralMan

(151,796 posts)
2. When I first saw that ad, I thought it was being run by
Fri Jun 5, 2026, 10:19 AM
19 hrs ago

a GOP PAC. Then, I looked up the PAC. It's supporting Angie Craig, the primary candidate who did NOT get the DFL party's endorsement. In fact, she did not speak to the convention before the endorsement was given to Flanagan.

Deep Fake ads against candidates are what I expect from MAGA. I'm very disappointed with Angie Craig right now.

Anyhow, I like Flanigan. She seems like she'll make a good Senator for our state. She gets my vote in the primary and the general election.

Angie Craig? Well, I like her OK, too as the Democrat who flipped a US House seat a while back. I'm sorry to see her resorting to such tactics. Sour grapes, I believe.

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