You open your mailbox expecting bills or maybe a catalog. Instead you find a political mailer with a candidate’s face. The image is slightly off. The text feels generic. You might not know you are holding a product of artificial intelligence. This is what arrived in mailboxes across Fresno’s City Council District 1.
The mailer targeted candidate Naindeep Singh. It landed shortly after his exoneration on a DUI arrest. The return address showed “Fresno Healthy Communities,” a political action committee. Public records name Solomon Verduzco as its controller and Alena Pacheco as treasurer. She is married to Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco.
This PAC is sponsored by another called “Central Valley Council.” Supervisor Pacheco confirmed political consultant Alex Tavlian founded that group. Singh sees Tavlian’s handiwork. “To me, it really shows Alex Tavlian’s deceptive, you know, deceitful and really sleazy techniques,” Singh told Action News. Reached for comment, Tavlian offered only “no comment.”
But the story does not end with one mailer or one PAC. It reveals a tactic of confusion. A respected local nonprofit, Fresno Building Healthy Communities, shares a name strikingly similar to the PAC. Its CEO Sandra Celedon said her office was flooded with angry calls. People thought the nonprofit sent the AI-generated attacks.
“We pride ourselves in government accountability and transparency,” Celedon said. “When folks called and thought that we were behind some of these mailers, it really does hurt our reputation.” She believes the name similarity is deliberate. She points to Tavlian’s past work. In 2025 he formed the “One Fresno Coalition.” Its name nearly matched Mayor Jerry Dyer’s “One Fresno Foundation.”
“They use names that have positive connotations,” Celedon explained. “So that people don’t actually look any further into it.” The strategy muddies the waters. It makes tracking the source of political attacks difficult for voters.
Singh provided Action News with two more AI mailers from Fresno Healthy Communities. One mailer employed a racial stereotype. It suggested Singh would open smoke shops near schools. “That one was more just racist dog whistles,” Singh said. The other mailer featured a Photoshopped image of Singh with former President Donald Trump. Singh has never met Trump.
Campaign records show Tavlian’s groups also funded ads opposing Joaquin Arambula. Arambula defeated Solomon Verduzco in a 2024 state assembly race. Verduzco controls the PAC that sent the mailers against Singh. These connections are not obvious to a voter holding a piece of mail.
Neither Fresno Healthy Communities nor Central Valley Council maintains a public website. This lack of transparency is a feature not a bug. “That’s the other piece that I think people really need to ask themselves,” Celedon said. “What are they hiding from?”
Fresno Healthy Communities did retract the mailer about Singh’s arrest after he was cleared. The damage however was likely done. The episode leaves a clear lesson for voters everywhere. A familiar-sounding name on a mailer does not guarantee good intentions. It might be the first clue in a deliberate strategy to mislead.
- Political mailers can be AI-generated.
- Campaigns may use deceptive names.
- Lack of transparency in PACs raises concerns.
- Generic content can indicate AI usage.
- Familiar names can mislead voters.
- Public accountability is crucial.
| Key Players | Role |
|---|---|
| Naindeep Singh | Candidate |
| Solomon Verduzco | PAC Controller |
| Alena Pacheco | PAC Treasurer |
| Brian Pacheco | Fresno County Supervisor |
| Alex Tavlian | Political Consultant |
| Sandra Celedon | CEO, Fresno Building Healthy Communities |
