Todd Jones and Brad Thomas Use HB986 to Bolster Poor Records on Election Integrity

HB986 is as much a “deep fake” as its sponsors attempt to criminalize

There is no more liberal member of the Georgia legislature than self-described conservative, Representative Todd Jones (R-25). No member of the Georgia General Assembly sponsors more expensive, more government expansive legislation than Todd Jones. In a different era, Representative Jones would be a proud Democrat, not even qualifying as a “blue-dog” or “DixieCrat.” His friend and fellow sponsor of HB986, Representative Brad Thomas (R-21), however, scolds anyone who would say such a thing, claiming, “It is not appropriate to pass judgment on what constitutes conservatism.” Neither of those legislators have lifted a finger to ensure election integrity in the State of Georgia. Neither of those legislators have acknowledged the first piece of evidence indicating fraud in the obviously-fraudulent 2020 election. Yet now they want you to believe they are election integrity champions, sponsoring HB986, the “deep-fake-go-to-jail-bill.”

“Deep-Fake” Legislators

HB986 is not about election integrity. Election integrity concerns whether the government conducts a free, fair, lawful and accurate election. HB986 does nothing to further that purpose. Instead, the sponsors of HB986 seek to criminalize something that has never happened, and conflate the bill’s purposes using a veritable psy-op designed to align the purported intentions of the bill’s sponsors with the intentions of scores of Georgians remaining incensed with the knowledge of a stolen 2020 election. HB986 is an attempt to co-opt political support for each of the bills sponsors, none of whom have done anything noteworthy to promote election integrity in the State of Georgia prior to now. HB986 is a politically-calculated bill designed to bridge a philosophical chasm, the bill’s Republican sponsors, all notably silent on the stolen 2020 election, in an attempt to re-invent themselves in the minds of Georgia voters on whose list of concerns election integrity is at or near the top.

That’s why lead sponsor Brad Thomas recently quipped, “HB986 is the quintessential election integrity bill.” So, understand what Rep. Thomas is trying to convince you to believe. According to Thomas, there is nothing the Georgia General Assembly could possibly legislate which would be more effective to ensure a free, fair, lawful and accurate election result, than to put a few video makers in jail for 2-5 years and fine them $50,000. I’m sure the “Paper Please” advocates around Georgia will now relax and go home, confident in the knowledge that Brad and Todd are on the case.

No election has ever been changed by the use of “deep fake” technology. And, importantly, even if one were, HB986 would do nothing to ensure a proper outcome of the resultant election in any event. HB986 would simply make criminals out of individuals using deep fake technology within 90 days of a primary or election. So understand what these sponsors are attempting to do. The sponsors of HB986 hope to cleverly conflate “campaign integrity” with “election integrity,” and politically reinvent themselves in time for the May primary. In effect, HB986 is an attempt to steal the personality of authentic concerns for “election integrity,” and impersonate those concerns with a “deep fake” in its own right, “campaign integrity.” HB986 is as much a “deep fake” as the activity its sponsors attempt to criminalize.

Let’s lay the truth bare. There is no such thing as “campaign integrity.” Look it up in the dictionary, it’s not there. Why? Because, by definition, it’s politics. Politics is not sincere. Politics has no integrity. Politicians are actors in a play. Politics is make believe. Politics is an art, a theatrical production. Even our president is a deep fake. Haven’t you noticed? He’s a made up person. He has a made up personality, a made up face, a made up message, and he was elected in a made up election, one with no election integrity at all. And everybody knows it. Even Democrats know it. So, let’s stop deep-faking ourselves. Like practically everything else Rep. Todd Jones does, it’s all deep-fakery. And he’s doing it to get re-elected. Should he be arrested? Well, no. If we start putting every kind of deep fake artist in jail, frankly, there would be very few politicians walking around.

That said, both Todd Jones and Brad Thomas have primary opponents, challengers Cary Lucas and Gregg Kilpatrick, respectively. It is seriously time for voters to question whether they are being properly represented in the Georgia House.

In the meantime, I urge you to contact your state senators and urge them to vote NO should HB986 make it to the floor for a vote.

Click Link Below to Find your Senators & Representatives