Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s attempt to defend a controversial new law banning election misinformation has taken a bizarre turn — the “expert” he brought in to support it is accused of using fake sources, according to an article in the Minnesota Reformer.
Jeff Hancock, a Stanford professor hailed as a leading authority on technology and deception, submitted an affidavit supporting new legislation at Ellison’s request to back the law, which bans the use of “deep fake” technology to sway elections.
But Hancock’s credibility is now in question after attorneys challenging the law discovered that several academic citations in his affidavit seem to be completely made up — potentially by artificial intelligence.
The law, which critics say violates First Amendment protections, is being challenged in federal court by a conservative YouTuber Christopher Kohls and Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria.