Pennsylvania

Taking on the machine: Pennsylvania lawmakers try to rein in AI in campaigns

Published

2 years ago

January 2, 2024

Taking on the machine: Pennsylvania lawmakers try to rein in AI in campaigns

With the expansion of artificial intelligence comes politicians using it for political gain – sometimes deceitfully.

This summer, the campaign for Florida Gov. Ron Desantis was criticized for posting AI-generated deep fakes of former President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci embracing, leading to much criticism from other Republicans.

In Pennsylvania, a bipartisan team is trying to tackle the use of deepfakes in state elections.

The legislation, led by Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Philadelphia, would fine candidates, campaigns and Super PACs if they use deep fake technology to fraudulently misrepresent other candidates. The fine amounts are still being finalized, said Khan.

“The idea of this legislation is to really start to put the guardrails on the process and to make sure that our elections remain safe and secure,” said Khan.

Co-sponsor Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-Allegheny, shares the same sentiment.

“There’s no doubt that voters deserve truthful, accurate information,” Mercuri said. “And so creating guardrails where they know that candidates and other campaign entities such as Super PACs would be prohibited from using and misusing candidate images and video.

Mercuri said this bill is important for future elections.

“I want to ensure a safe and effective elections process that presents trusted information to the voters so that they can make an informed choice,” he said.

If moved, Pennsylvania would become one of a handful of states with laws on the book dealing with false, AI-generated images in elections.

Khan said the advent of AI can lead people to be duped by false information.

“People are good. They’re trusting,” he said. “And all too often people are victims of scams.”

The law would only affect campaigns, candidates and super PACs, so those popular videos of presidents playing video games would not be affected nor would late night shows that have been making satirical images of candidates.

“We are not intending here to take away the ability of someone to use their free speech,” said Mercuri.

In a 2022 post related to deep fake laws, conservative think tank Institute for Free Speech argued that “government attempts to outlaw misleading political messages will do far more harm to democracy than the mere existence of such speech.”

The group argues voters can “expose falsehoods and decide the value of political expression themselves.”

The Federal Election Commission is considering regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads if used to misrepresent political opponents.

Additionally, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, have rules regarding the use of deep fakes.

The Shapiro administration will continue reviewing the legislation as it moves through the process, according to press secretary Manuel Bonder.

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Pennsylvania

Pa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico

Published

7 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Pa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico

A Pennsylvania man was found guilty of repeatedly raping his daughter’s best friend over a three-year span before fleeing with the teen to Mexico.

On Thursday, March 5, 2026, Kevin Esterly, 53, of Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, was convicted on all counts of rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary sexual intercourse and endangering the welfare of children.

Esterly shook his head as the verdict was read but said nothing in the courtroom.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

Esterly’s trial began on Tuesday, March 3, after a judge denied his pretrial motion for the charges against him to be dismissed and for the Lehigh County District Attorney to be removed as a prosecutor in the case.

Both Esterly and his victim testified on Wednesday, March 4.

The victim — who is now 24-years-old — told the courtroom that she met Esterly and his family while attending church as a child and became best friends with one of his daughters. Esterly was a youth leader and elder at the church at the time. The victim said Esterly also coached her soccer team.

The victim said she became so close to Esterly’s family that she called his wife “mom” and eventually spent almost every weekend at their home in Lowhill Township, Pennsylvania. She also said she vacationed with them in New York state and Ocean City, Maryland.

The victim said Esterly first sexually assaulted her in August 2015 when she was 13-years-old after he gave her alcohol during a family birthday party.

“I was scared. Frozen in fear,” the woman told the courtroom on Wednesday. “I pretended I was sleeping.”

The woman accused Esterly of sexually assaulting her almost every time she slept over at his home. She told the courtroom she eventually became addicted to alcohol and drugs, which Esterly gave her in exchange for sex. According to the woman, Esterly gave her cocaine and methamphetamine to keep her awake during school because she “would be up with him all night.”

The woman said Esterly continued to sexually assault her until he was confronted by his wife in 2017. Esterly’s wife then threw him out of the house, according to the victim. She said Esterly continued to sexually assault her over the next year.

Esterly was later arrested and then sentenced to prison after federal agents found him with the victim in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in 2018. She was 16-years-old at the time.

The woman said she moved on and went to college after Esterly’s sentencing though she still struggled with drug addiction. She said she sought counseling in February 2025. She told the courtroom she received a message from Esterly on LinkedIn that same month in which he apologized for “failing you as a person I was supposed to be for you.” At that point Esterly had been released from prison.

The woman said she had not told anyone about her relationship with Esterly up to that point and replied to him, “I live with our secret every day as I promised. I would appreciate an apology.”

The woman told the courtroom that Esterly responded by writing, “I hope one day you can forgive me. Nobody knows I reached out to you. That is the best for both of us.”

On Feb. 21, 2025, Allentown Police received a report of Esterly’s sexual assaults which led to the new charges being filed against him. He was arrested in West Virginia in June 2025 after two police pursuits. He was then extradited to Pennsylvania.

The victim told the courtroom on Wednesday that she kept quiet about Esterly’s abuse for years because she “was afraid to speak,” and felt “dirty and ashamed.”

“I wasn’t ready to tell anyone,” she said. “He was a father figure in my life. I loved him.”

The woman also said she didn’t want to hurt Esterly’s daughter who was her best friend.

When the District Attorney asked her why she was “here today,” she replied by saying, “I want to tell the truth. I want to be set free.”

The woman ended her testimony by saying, “I don’t want to live with this secret anymore.”

After her testimony, Esterly took the stand for 45 minutes, denied all of the accusations against him and accused the woman of lying.

Closing arguments then took place Thursday morning. It then took an hour for the jury of seven women and five men to reach their verdict.

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Pennsylvania

3 dead in apparent murder-suicide spanning from Pennsylvania to Illinois, police say

Published

19 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

3 dead in apparent murder-suicide spanning from Pennsylvania to Illinois, police say

Madeline Bartos,

Jennifer Borrasso

Updated on: March 5, 2026 / 2:16 AM EST
/ CBS Pittsburgh

Two women are dead in Pennsylvania and a man is dead in Illinois after an apparent murder-suicide, police said on Wednesday.

According to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police, the investigation began in Hillside, Illinois, when police there were dispatched after a man reported two women dead in Jackson Township, Pennsylvania. Police said that when officers got to Hillside, about 15 miles west of Chicago, they found that the man had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

After identifying him, troopers said Hillside officers contacted police from Jackson Township to request a welfare check at the man’s home on Dior Drive, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Map shows distance from Hillside, Illinois, to Zelienople, Pennsylvania

KDKA

Police said officers used forced entry to get into the home and found two women dead from apparent gunshot wounds. It’s believed the two women were family members of the man who died by suicide in Illinois, investigators said.

Pennsylvania State Police said they’ve assumed control of the case and are “actively investigating” what happened surrounding the three deaths.

Police didn’t release any names, saying the process of formal identification and notification of next of kin hasn’t been completed. Sources told KDKA that the victims were a husband, wife and their daughter.

“At this time, investigators believe there is no ongoing threat to the public, and law enforcement is not searching for any additional individuals in connection with this incident,” police wrote in the public information release report. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation.”

State police didn’t release any other details on Wednesday but said more information will be made public when it’s available.

“My first reaction was shocked because this is such a close-knit neighborhood, and to think something that horrible could happen here is very tragic because they were such a good family,” neighbor Danielle Sporer said on Wednesday.

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Pennsylvania

Top Pennsylvania 2027 quarterback enrolls into Coatesville (Pa.)

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Top Pennsylvania 2027 quarterback enrolls into Coatesville (Pa.)

One of the top 2027 Pennsylvania high school quarterbacks from the 2025 season has announced that he’s leaving for a new home.

Per an announcement by Class of 2027 signal caller Mikal Shank Jr., the quarterback has left Harrisburg (Pa.) and is now at Coatesville (Pa.) for his senior season. Shank Jr. last season started 14 games for the Cougars and is arguably one of the state’s top returning players behind center heading into the 2026 campaign.