Should Derrick Van Orden stop posting AI deepfakes of Rebecca Cooke?
Rebecca Cooke demands that Derrick Van Orden stop posting AI impersonations of her. Van Orden dismisses the demand, while his campaign calls her response a tantrum in its own release.
Claim in dispute
Van Orden's AI videos falsely attribute statements and policy positions to Cooke and should be stopped.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Cooke and Van Orden are opponents in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Campaign lawyer Ben Stafford identifies an August 4 video and says Cooke neither said the attributed words nor supports the policies assigned to her. His letter acknowledges that Wisconsin's election deepfake law excludes federal candidates, but argues that defamation law still applies. Van Orden's campaign calls Cooke's response a tantrum and accuses her of lying to voters. Those are competing campaign positions; the letter is not a court ruling on defamation.
Sources: Cooke's letter (opens in a new tab), Van Orden's post (opens in a new tab) and Wisconsin Public Radio (opens in a new tab).
People in this case
Derrick Van OrdenDirectly involved
Timeline
3 timeline entries on this page. Dates: August 4, 2026 to September 30, 2026
August 2026
1 event
Van Orden posts the video later cited in Cooke's letter
Incident
Cooke's September 30 letter identifies an August 4 post on Van Orden's X account as an example of an AI video falsely attributing statements to her.
[01]Cooke for Congress: False and Defamatory Deepfake Ads
Cooke campaign counsel alleges false attribution and defamation, demands that Van Orden stop using the videos and reserves legal options. The letter acknowledges that Wisconsin's election deepfake statute excludes federal candidates and argues that common-law defamation still applies.
Cooke for Congress: False and Defamatory Deepfake AdsSigned letter, September 30, 2026, pages 1-2; August 4 post cited in footnote 1.[02]Cooke sends cease-and-desist letter over Van Orden AI videos
Wisconsin Public Radio reports Cooke's allegations and the Van Orden campaign's rejection of the letter. It links to the original videos and the signed letter.
Cooke sends cease-and-desist letter over Van Orden AI videosArticle body, original video links, letter link and Van Orden campaign response.
57 days between recorded events
September 2026
2 events
Cooke sends a cease-and-desist letter
Source release
Campaign counsel demands an end to the AI videos, alleges defamation and reserves legal options. Cooke publicly announces the demand that afternoon.
[01]Cooke for Congress: False and Defamatory Deepfake Ads
Cooke campaign counsel alleges false attribution and defamation, demands that Van Orden stop using the videos and reserves legal options. The letter acknowledges that Wisconsin's election deepfake statute excludes federal candidates and argues that common-law defamation still applies.
Cooke for Congress: False and Defamatory Deepfake AdsSigned letter, September 30, 2026, pages 1-2; August 4 post cited in footnote 1.[03]Rebecca Cooke announces her cease-and-desist demand
Cooke calls the AI videos misleading and says they falsely attribute statements to her. Her post announces the letter sent by campaign counsel.
Rebecca Cooke announces her cease-and-desist demand · Rebecca CookeOriginal post text, September 30, 2026; attached letter images.Van Orden dismisses the demand on X
Reaction
Van Orden dismisses the form and tells the recipient to carry on. His post quotes an account pointing to Cooke's announcement.
[04]Derrick Van Orden dismisses Cooke's cease-and-desist demand
Van Orden tells the recipient to put the form in the circle file. The quoted DVO Newsroom account describes itself as residents documenting his conduct; it is not his campaign newsroom.
Derrick Van Orden dismisses Cooke's cease-and-desist demand · Derrick Van OrdenOriginal caption, September 30, 2026, 9:14 p.m. Eastern; quoted DVO Newsroom post points to Cooke's demand.
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Van Orden's AI videos falsely attribute statements and policy positions to Cooke and should be stopped.
Sources (2)
- Cooke for Congress: False and Defamatory Deepfake AdsSigned letter, September 30, 2026, pages 1-2; August 4 post cited in footnote 1.
- Rebecca Cooke announces her cease-and-desist demand · Rebecca CookeOriginal post text, September 30, 2026; attached letter images.
Response record
Responses
Latest recorded positions: 2. Dates: September 30, 2026
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
2 responses on this page
Derrick Van OrdenU.S. representative for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District and Republican candidateDirectly involved"Please fill out the appropriate form and file it in the circle file. Carry on."
MinimizedCase context: Should Derrick Van Orden stop posting AI deepfakes of Rebecca Cooke?
Read more
Van Orden tells the recipient to put the form in the circle file and carry on. His post quotes an account pointing to Cooke's cease-and-desist announcement.
Before the statement
Van Orden quotes a post from DVO Newsroom that points to Cooke's announcement.
After the statement
His post includes AI-labelled media. In its own news release, his campaign calls Cooke's response a tantrum and accuses her of lying to voters.
Derrick Van Orden dismisses Cooke's cease-and-desist demand · Derrick Van OrdenOriginal caption, September 30, 2026, 9:14 p.m. Eastern; quoted DVO Newsroom post points to Cooke's demand.Cooke sends cease-and-desist letter over Van Orden AI videosArticle body, original video links, letter link and Van Orden campaign response.Why this label?
He responds to the demand by telling the recipient to discard it, downplaying its significance.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Rebecca CookeDemocratic candidate for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional DistrictDirectly involved "These defamatory, misleading videos undermine our democratic process and are the exact kind of mudslinging voters are tired of."
CondemnedResponding to: Van Orden's AI videos falsely attribute statements and policy positions to Cooke and should be stopped.
Read more
Cooke calls the videos misleading and damaging to democratic debate. She says Van Orden is using AI to put words in her mouth and announces a cease-and-desist demand.
Before the statement
Cooke announces that campaign counsel has sent Van Orden a cease-and-desist letter.
After the statement
She says West Central Wisconsin voters deserve better. The attached letter reserves legal options if the conduct continues.
Rebecca Cooke announces her cease-and-desist demand · Rebecca CookeOriginal post text, September 30, 2026; attached letter images.Cooke for Congress: False and Defamatory Deepfake AdsSigned letter, September 30, 2026, pages 1-2; August 4 post cited in footnote 1.Why this label?
She directly condemns the disputed use of AI impersonations and seeks an end to the videos.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(4)
Original text
Cooke for Congress: False and Defamatory Deepfake Ads
Relevant passage: Signed letter, September 30, 2026, pages 1-2; August 4 post cited in footnote 1.
About this source
Cooke campaign counsel alleges false attribution and defamation, demands that Van Orden stop using the videos and reserves legal options. The letter acknowledges that Wisconsin's election deepfake statute excludes federal candidates and argues that common-law defamation still applies.
- Author
- Ben Stafford, Elias Law Group, for Cooke for Congress
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Cooke sends cease-and-desist letter over Van Orden AI videos
Relevant passage: Article body, original video links, letter link and Van Orden campaign response.
About this source
Wisconsin Public Radio reports Cooke's allegations and the Van Orden campaign's rejection of the letter. It links to the original videos and the signed letter.
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Derrick Van Orden dismisses Cooke's cease-and-desist demand
About this source
Van Orden tells the recipient to put the form in the circle file. The quoted DVO Newsroom account describes itself as residents documenting his conduct; it is not his campaign newsroom.
- Author
- Derrick Van Orden
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Rebecca Cooke announces her cease-and-desist demand
About this source
Cooke calls the AI videos misleading and says they falsely attribute statements to her. Her post announces the letter sent by campaign counsel.
- Author
- Rebecca Cooke
- Published
- Accessed
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Should Derrick Van Orden stop posting AI deepfakes of Rebecca Cooke?
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/derrick-van-orden-rebecca-cooke-ai-deepfake-videos
The Dispute Index. "Should Derrick Van Orden stop posting AI deepfakes of Rebecca Cooke?". First published: 2026-10-08. Last updated: 2026-10-08. https://disputeindex.com/cases/derrick-van-orden-rebecca-cooke-ai-deepfake-videos