Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch determined that Democratic U.S. Senate candidate may have violated the law by using an AI-generated campaign ad to depict his opponent, Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. He must delete the ad by 3 p.m. on Oct. 23, she said in a letter to Colom.
“We request that you remove these videos from any websites or social media platforms controlled or managed by Scott Colom for Senate by 3:00 pm on October 23, 2026,” the attorney general wrote in an Oct. 23 letter. “Should they not be removed at that time, this office may seek an injunction pursuant to Miss. Code § 97-13-47(4).”
“Please also be advised that dissemination of these ads may be a violation of Miss. Code § 97-13-47(2), punishable by imprisonment of not more than one (1) year or payment of a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or both,” the letter continues. “Our office is authorized to investigate this matter, and you are hereby advised to preserve all related records, and that the destruction, alteration, or withholding of any record or document required to be produced by grand jury subpoena constitutes.”
Colom has deleted the ad from social media in compliance with Fitch’s request.
“Cindy Hyde-Smith is clearly desperate and she and her allies are once again trying to weaponize the justice system to distract from the real issues, which is that she has sold out our farmers, sold out our small business, and sold out our families,” he said in an Oct. 23 statement to the Mississippi Free Press.
Fitch’s determination comes after the Mississippi Republican Party wrote an Oct. 22 letter asking her to investigate whether Colom broke the law by posting an AI-generated ad of Hyde-Smith on Facebook and Instagram on Oct. 1.
The ad features an AI-generated Hyde-Smith being confronted by reporters, covering her face with a folder and running through the halls of the U.S. Capitol building to avoid questions. The ad claims the depiction is “based on a true story,” but does not disclose it was created using AI.
Mississippi and 30 other states have laws that require disclaimers on political ads that use AI-generated content. Mississippi’s 2024 law prohibits a person from using someone’s likeness to create an AI-generated ad unless the ad has a disclaimer.
“We appreciate the Attorney General opening an investigation into this serious matter, enforcing our election laws, and demanding that Scott Colom stop violating state law,” Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst said in an Oct. 23 statement to the Mississippi Free Press. “Colom began his campaign with a fake phone call violating federal law and is ending it with a fake video violating state law. Voters are finally seeing the real Scott Colom. Mississippians deserve better than someone who will say or do anything just to get elected.”
“Clearly this was parody, maybe too close to home because she knows she does love to hide from her own constituents and reporters,” the Democrat continued in his statement. “I’m honored to have received thousands of donations from working Mississippians who chipped in what they could because they are ready for change, and I will not waste those hard-earned dollars on costly litigation because unlike Cindy Hyde-Smith, my campaign is powered by everyday people. We are going to delete the post in the spirit of being good stewards of their money.”
Follow the Mississippi Free Press’ coverage of the 2026 elections and read past stories here.
Mississippi Free Press stories are always free because we believe everyone should have access to quality journalism. Donations from readers like you make that possible. Please click here to give to help sustain and grow vital, people-over-power journalism for Mississippians.
Readers can sign up for our free newsletters here.
