Canadian politician arrested for making threats after AI voicemail claim
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A Canadian politician who claimed a voicemail he allegedly left for a potential mayoral candidate last summer was created by artificial intelligence has been arrested and charged with threatening.
Ontario Councilor Corinna Traill was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of menacing, Ontario’s Peterborough Police Service said.
In September, former mayoral candidate Tom Dingwall wrote on Facebook that Traill left him a voicemail in August, telling him not to run for mayor so a friend could run unopposed.
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Ontario Councilor Corinna Traill was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of menacing, Ontario’s Peterborough Police Service said. (Corinnatraill.ca; Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)
“Ms. Traill made it clear that if I did not do this, she would come to my home, kill me, sexually assault my wife, then sexually assault me again,” he alleged.
He called for Traill to resign, adding: “To be clear, no elected official who is paid to represent us should use intimidation or threats to dissuade anyone from holding elected office or engaging in public service, especially for the benefit of their friends.”
In his own statement posted on Facebook in September, Traill denied sending the voicemail.
“I want to state it loud and clear: I did not create this message,” he wrote. “I was told that artificial intelligence technology was involved. Parts of the voice message were my voice, but other parts were artificially created.”
He wrote at the time that his team was trying to find out who created the message.
“For more than a decade, I have worked to best represent the interests of our community, advocate for the rights of our residents, and ensure that local decision-making processes reflect the values and priorities of the people I serve,” he added. “This commitment will not waver in light of these circumstances.”
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Traill was released from jail voluntarily and is expected to appear in court in January, the police department said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Traill for comment.
