Overview
- A filed grand jury report confirms testimony on August 18 and September 30 in an investigation into distribution of an intimate image and possible ghost employment tied to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office.
- The report marks the first official acknowledgment that alleged ghost employment, commonly associated with payroll fraud or unrelated duties, is under review.
- Allegations stem from claims that staffers shared an AI-generated pornographic deepfake of State Rep. Craig Haggard’s wife inside the office, according to prior reporting and a former adviser.
- Beckwith denies the accusations, says no video has been found, characterizes the matter as a witch hunt, and acknowledges no third-party forensic audits were commissioned.
- The prosecutor’s office disclosed in August that it was examining the claims, and by procedure the sealed grand jury materials would be unsealed only if charges are filed.