Marion County Prosecutor Investigates Deepfake of Lawmaker's Wife

Alleged Deepfake Video Incident Involving State Official

An alleged incident involving a deepfake video has sparked concern and calls for accountability in Indiana. The situation centers around Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office, where a staffer is reportedly accused of creating and sharing a pornographic deepfake video of State Rep. Craig Haggard’s wife. This development has led to an ongoing investigation by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

Haggard, a Republican representing Indianapolis, first learned about the alleged incident last week. According to reports, the deepfake was created using an existing video of his wife performing at a charity talent show earlier this year. While Haggard has not personally seen the video, he has emphasized the seriousness of the matter and the need for those responsible to be held accountable if the allegations are true.

“I know we need to get to the bottom of it,” Haggard said. “If true, this is a very, very serious allegation. I mean, it’s a federal crime.”

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office has not confirmed or denied whether it is investigating the incident. A spokesperson for the office stated that due to the nature of the investigative process, they cannot publicly comment until they have made a decision on charges.

“Sometimes, as they work through that investigatory process, there’s a number of things that individuals need to look into, and so, for us, we really can’t say anything publicly until we’re in a position to make a charging decision or make a charging announcement,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.

In response to the incident, a spokesperson for the Indiana Governor’s Office issued a statement clarifying that the governor's office does not have authority over human resources matters for the Lieutenant Governor or any other elected officials. However, Gov. Mike Braun expressed his disappointment with how state leaders have responded so far.

“If it were in my office, there would be quick getting to the bottom of it and full accountability, and I would expect that would be the case there,” Braun said. “Get to the bottom of it, do it with full transparency, [and] if someone outside gets involved like the prosecutor’s office, hopefully they would do it with the right motive behind it.”

Haggard has called for an independent investigation into the alleged incident, expressing frustration with the lack of support from state leaders. He believes that dismissing the allegations is unacceptable.

“If it was made up, it’s horrible; if it happened, it’s even worse,” Haggard said. “At a minimum, you still look into it, you still look into all allegations, but to just dismiss it, I think, is almost as bad as the incident itself, because to me, what you’re saying is that you don’t care. You care more about political fallout than you do about protecting women, and I think that’s just wrong.”

Haggard also mentioned that he tried reaching out to Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray for answers but faced resistance. Bray denied the claim, stating that he has no control over the Lt. Governor’s employees. He emphasized that no one should have to go through such a situation and described it as awful.

Haggard also spoke with Lt. Gov. Beckwith, who reportedly did not believe the allegations were true. Despite this, Haggard remains firm in his stance that if the allegations are true, the individual responsible should face the full extent of the law.

FOX59/CBS4 has reached out to the Lt. Governor’s Office multiple times for comment before airing this story. As of the article’s publication, no official statement has been received.