Top Indiana Republican faces grand jury probe into fraud and salacious ‘deepfaked’ images

A grand jury is investigating Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith over a number of alleged wrongdoings in his office, reported NewsNation on Tuesday.

According to the report, a Marion County grand jury heard testimony in August and September “in the original investigation into the distribution of an intimate image(s) and ghost employment in the office of the Indiana lieutenant governor.”

The "intimate images" are likely a reference to reports that staffers in Beckwith's office distributed "deepfaked" artificial intelligence-generated pornographic images of Indianapolis State Rep. Craig Haggard's wife and watched them on government property.

Beckwith defended his staffers, saying "he was certain they would never look at pornography in their statehouse office." However, a news report at the time said the staffers said "that Beckwith had seen the video and laughed at it as well." Another former staffer told reporters the atmosphere inside Beckwith's office was a “frat house” and “very immature.”

Meanwhile, "the grand jury’s report is the first mention of allegations of ghost employment within Beckwith’s office," said the report. "Ghost employment is most often used as a term for payroll fraud. A public servant can also be charged with ghost employment as a Level 6 felony for assigning employees duties not related to their government position."

Asked for comment on the new reporting, Beckwith's office provided the statement, “Active grand juries are confidential; therefore, the office has no knowledge of any of this.”

Beckwith has previously come under controversy for defending the Constitution's infamous "Three-Fifths Compromise," reducing the representation of enslaved persons in congressional apportionment, saying that it ensured "justice was equal for all people."