Texas state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione in a 2014 file photo. Allegations that the Republican lawmaker had a lengthy affair with a stripper have raised questions about AI, freedom of speech, defamation and what counts as a scandal in contemporary politics.

University of Texas at San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy, left, greets Gov. Greg Abbott as they prepare to sit down with state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, center, and state Sen. Tan Parker during a bill signing event in June.

Texas state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-District 98. Allegations that the lawmaker had a lengthy affair with a stripper have raised questions about AI, freedom of speech, defamation and what counts as a scandal in contemporary politics.

The political news website Current Revolt snagged an unbelievable scoop: a U.S. Army veteran and former exotic dancer was accusing the Republican lawmaker behind Texas’s abortion ban of a long-term affair and paying for abortions.

Before it could publish, though, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence bot Grok scoured the internet and broke the news first. The allegations have captivated the Texas Legislature and raised questions about freedom of speech, defamation and what counts as a scandal.

In June, state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, announced his reelection campaign with endorsements from President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott. But he mysteriously reversed himself on July 22, saying he’d accomplished all his goals as a politician.

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Conservative social media lit up with conjecture and rumors of a sex scandal. When people on Twitter, now known as X, asked Grok what was going on,

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