Indiana Deepfake: Lt. Gov's office adopts new employee handbook, Gov. calls in Beckwith for meeting
Marion County Prosecutor continues probe of Beckwith office
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Ind. Gov. Mike Braun summoned Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith to a meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the deepfake story and other recent “distractions” from his office, according to people familiar with the meeting.
“It reminds me of high school students that get out of line, and you’ve got to bring them back in sooner or later, even if you’re giving them latitude,” Braun told WIBC-FM’s Tony Katz Wednesday before the meeting. “Sooner or later there’s an accumulation to where you’ll have to weigh in and make sure that it’s either fixed and you focus on the good things that we’ve been doing as a state government. If not, it’s going to be to your detriment when you come back into the political arena and you’re going to be chalking up a lot of debits and not credits.”
The meeting marks the first time the governor has gone to Beckwith to learn what happened inside his office, since 24sight News reported on the deepfake video of a state lawmaker’s wife viewed by Beckwith’s staff, according to people familiar with the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Marion County Prosecutor’s office continued its outreach in the investigation this week, according to a person familiar with its investigation.
“We do not comment on the subject matter of private meetings. However, Governor Braun and Lt. Governor Beckwith hold recurring meetings, one of which took place on August 13,” Beckwith’s office said in a statement Thursday.
A spokesperson for Braun declined comment for this story.
Beckwith has repeatedly denied his staff viewed any deepfake porn videos in his office and said that if that happened it’s a fireable offense. Beckwith talked extensively in public about the deepfake story last week, but has been quiet about it this week.
On Monday, more than a week after the initial report of the deepfake, Beckwith’s office issued a new employee handbook for staff to sign, outlining the terms of office conduct, according to multiple people familiar with the move.
Beckwith’s office said Thursday that they always had an employee handbook which underwent “minor” changes recently.
“The Office of Lieutenant Governor has maintained a handbook since we took office in January of 2025. It recently underwent minor edits, the most significant being an updated logo.”
24sight News filed a public records request seeking a copy of the new employee handbook. 24sight News has also filed a public records request seeking the results of the internal investigation said he conducted.
News of the deepfake incident has put the Indiana statehouse and its officials on edge, sparking much whispering and speculation behind the scenes, but more limited public comments this week as the potential severity of the incident began to sink in. Last year, Indiana along with most other states, made it a misdemeanor to view and distribute nonconsensual deepfake porn.
After a week of talking regularly about the story and pushing back on it, Beckwith has been quiet so far this week. Asked Monday if the lieutenant governor’s office had been contacted by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, his office released a statement saying nobody from the prosecutor’s office had reached out to them, to the best of their knowledge.
The husband of Beckwith’s chief of staff, who vociferously attacked the story on Facebook last week, posted a disclaimer at the top of his page this week saying he doesn’t speak for Beckwith or the lieutenant governor’s office.
Meanwhile, Tuesday, state Rep. Craig Haggard, whose wife was targeted in the deepfake video, launched his bid for Congress running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Baird in the Republican primary.
Indiana Deepfake coverage
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The last paragraph is arguably the most telling of this story:
“Meanwhile, Tuesday, state Rep. Craig Haggard, whose wife was targeted in the deepfake video, launched his bid for Congress running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Baird in the Republican primary.”