Nithya Raman's campaign submitted an ethics complaint on Thursday, alleging that political organization Thrive LA ran attack advertisements and an artificial-intelligence voice line that labeled her record as a "Poop Zone." The filing, made with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, claims the ads violate city election rules.
According to the complaint, the ads featured a synthetic voice that said, "Nithya Raman's record is a Poop Zone," and were distributed across digital platforms and local cable networks. The campaign argues that the wording is false, misleading and intended to harm Raman's candidacy for the city council.
Thrive LA, a nonprofit political group that supports progressive candidates, responded by rejecting the allegations. In a statement, the organization said the ads complied with all applicable regulations and that the complaint is "a baseless attempt to silence criticism."
The ethics complaint seeks a formal investigation and possible sanctions against Thrive LA if the commission finds the ads in breach of the city's election code.
