Mississippi GOP asks attorney general to investigate Colom’s AI campaign video

The Mississippi Republican Party asked Attorney General Lynn Fitch on October 22, 2026, to investigate Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom over an AI-generated video depicting his opponent, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The party alleges an election-law violation and wants an order stopping further use if a violation is established; Colom’s campaign calls the video a joke.

A fictional escape, presented as a true story

The disputed video shows a generated figure representing Hyde-Smith avoiding reporters’ questions and photographs. In the sequence, she covers her face with a folder and runs through the halls of the U.S. Capitol. These are fabricated scenes, not footage of the senator performing those actions.

Colom posted the video to Facebook and Instagram with the caption “Based on a true story.” It did not disclose that it was AI-generated, the Mississippi Free Press reported. The outlet placed its publication 33 days before the November 3 election, inside the 90-day period addressed by the state’s law.

Republican Party Chair Mike Hurst argues that the combination of a realistic-looking depiction and that caption makes the video deceptive. His letter identifies Mississippi Code § 97-13-47 as the law potentially violated. He alleges Colom intended to injure Hyde-Smith, influence the election or deter voting, rather than produce a comic imitation.

Scott Colom didn’t label this video as artificial intelligence. Instead, he claimed it was ‘based on a true story.’ That isn’t satire. It isn’t parody. It’s deception, and Mississippi voters deserve better.

Mike Hurst, Mississippi Republican Party chair, in an October 22 press release

The law preserves satire—but does not define it

Mississippi passed the law in 2024. It restricts sharing realistic alterations of photographs or videos, called “digitizations,” within 90 days of an election with intent to injure a candidate. The restriction is not a blanket prohibition on using AI in political messaging: the statute includes exceptions for satire and parody.

Neither term is defined in the statute, according to the Clarion Ledger. That leaves the dispute centered on competing descriptions of this particular video: Hurst says it was designed to look real and mislead voters, while the campaign says it is plainly a joke. Fitch had not determined whether the ad violated the law as of October 22.

To support his argument about intent, Hurst’s letter pointed to Colom’s October 10 interview with WAPT’s Ross Adams. Colom said he was “trying to get young peoples’ attention” and seeking better ways to reach them. Hurst cited those remarks as part of his case that the video was an electoral tactic, not parody.

A demand to stop distribution

The party is seeking more than a review of the existing post. Hurst asked Fitch to pursue an injunction—a court order—prohibiting Colom’s future use of the video and other unlawful deepfake content if an investigation establishes a violation. The requested remedy would therefore reach continued circulation, rather than simply demand an explanation of how the clip was made.

The law also carries criminal consequences. A person convicted under it could face up to one year in prison, a $5,000 fine or both. Those are the statute’s potential penalties, not consequences imposed on Colom over this video.

Colom campaign manager Gerard Henderson rejected the request in an October 22 statement, calling it “an attempt to weaponize public office against political opponents.” He described the clip as a joke and argued that voters should focus instead on Hyde-Smith’s record and its effects on Mississippi farmers, small businesses and working families.