FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 7, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com Senate nominee calls for mandatory AI disclosure, protections for seniors and children, and real accountability for companies that deceive BOSTON, MA. -- John Deaton, nominee for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, today called on Congress to pass a national AI standard with enforceable consumer protections. The call follows this week's announcement of an AI video model that its maker says nearly half of test subjects mistook for a real person. AI company Tavus unveiled the model, called Griffin, on October 1. The company reports that 48% of participants in its study believed they were talking to a real human after a live one-minute video call. It says earlier systems fooled fewer than 3%. Tavus itself acknowledges the model can deceive people into believing it is not AI. "When a machine can look you in the eye on a video call and half the people talking to it think it's human, the scam writes itself," Deaton said. "A grandmother gets a call from a face and a voice she trusts. Minutes later her life savings are gone. That is where this goes if Washington does nothing." "I've spent my career taking on corporations that knew their products would hurt people and sold them anyway," Deaton continued. "I'm not waiting for the body count this time. Fraud rings will use this against seniors. Lonely and vulnerable people will be sold relationships with people who don’t exist. Isolated or lonely children battling depression or other mental health issues will be especially vulnerable.” Deaton's national standard would: Require disclosure. Any AI in a live video or voice conversation must identify itself as AI, up front and whenever asked. Ban impersonation. No AI may use a real person's face or voice without that person's consent. Protect children. No romantic or companion AI products for minors, backed by age verification. Protect seniors. Banks and payment apps must flag and verify large, unusual transfers before the money leaves. Hold companies accountable. Firms that deploy undisclosed human-passing AI answer for the harm, with FTC and state attorney general enforcement and a right for victims to sue. Set one clear rule. A single national standard, so protection doesn't depend on which state you live in. "I'm for innovation. I've fought regulators who tried to strangle it," Deaton said. "But there is a bright line between building tools that serve people and building machines designed to pass as people. If it's AI, it has to say so. That's not anti-technology. That's basic honesty, and it should be the law." ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 7, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com BOSTON, MA. -- U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton acknowledged the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on Wednesday, stating: "Time stands still for the families of victims whose lives were cut short by Hamas terrorists hellbent on inflicting their evil and oppressive ideology on the world. "Hostages who survived captivity emerged as heroes. Today's focus should be recognizing their suffering, honoring the thousands who were brutally murdered, and assisting their families in rebuilding their lives by every possible means." ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com BOSTON, MA. -- Following a violent attack today at my East Providence law office; where a window was shattered while my employee was inside; I am holding Ed Markey directly accountable for the toxic, dangerous climate he has manufactured. For months, Ed Markey has peddled blatant lies, smearing me as a "Trumper," a "Trump sycophant," and a "MAGA Republican." Markey knows these are malicious fabrications meant to incite anger and hatred towards me. Ed Markey knows that I have never voted for Donald Trump. He is fully aware that I have never supported Donald Trump. Yet Markey continues to weaponize these lies because he cannot defend his own record and is afraid to face me on the issues most important to working families across the Commonwealth. His reckless rhetoric has caused the harassment of my children and now an act of violence against my law firm, directly endangering my staff. While Markey hides behind lies to stir up hate, he is simultaneously hiding from voters. Markey has canceled/rejected a debate set by Channel 5 and flatly refuses to participate in more than a single debate, turning his back on four other separate media debate requests, including in Western Massachusetts - an area Markey promised not to ignore. Markey hasn't even been reelected yet and he's already broke that promise. If he won't respect Western Massachusetts BEFORE the election - he certainly won't after. Ed Markey is running a campaign built entirely on deceit, division, and cowardice. He is too afraid to face me on a debate stage to discuss the real issues, preferring instead to sit in the shadows and sling dangerous smears that put innocent people and working families in harm's way. This is not leadership. It is dishonorable political desperation. When Seth Moulton engaged in such conduct, suggesting Senator Markey was complicit in the Jeffrey Epstein files, I spoke out against it - calling Moulton's conduct shameful. Markey, himself, called Moulton's conduct despicable. Yet, Ed Markey has now proven himself to be no better. It is time for Senator Markey to stop spreading dangerous lies, stop dodging debates, and answer to the people he claims to represent. I am deeply grateful to the East Providence Police Department for their prompt response and urge anyone with information to contact local authorities. ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com BOSTON, Mass. — U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton issued the following statement after U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) voted against passage of the Ratepayer Protection Act: "Ed Markey once again declined to think for himself, following Chuck Schumer's advice to let perfect get in the way of good bipartisan legislation. While this bill didn't provide every protection I've called for, it would have laid the foundation for future reforms, including establishing a national model to mandate that data centers receive community input, including the ability to negotiate community benefit agreements, such as revenue sharing and bonuses, and that corporations must pay for utility upgrades and energy costs, without stiffing taxpayers," said Deaton . "We have data centers racing to build in Massachusetts, and the federal status quo is letting them jack up our energy bills while Ed Markey pays half the cost on his utilities where he lives in Maryland." ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com BOSTON, Mass. — U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton issued the following statement after U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) voted against passage of the Stop Insider Trading Act: "There are two reasons Ed Markey voted against this bill: It didn't ban President Trump from owning stocks, and it required voter ID. Both are poor excuses. Nothing prevents future bills from banning the president and family members from owning stocks, a measure I support too. And the voter ID rider is a common-sense requirement implemented by some of the most progressive countries in the world. Ed Markey's far-left base would crucify him for voting in favor of something so inside the mainstream of American opinion," said Deaton . ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 5, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com U.S. Air Force Maj. John "Alex" Klinner died in an aircraft crash in Iraq in March, supporting the United States' military operation against Iran. BOLTON, MA -- John Deaton, candidate for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, responded to intervention by Vice President J.D. Vance after Libby Klinner, the widow of Major John “Alex” Klinner, took to social media to reveal that the military had denied her the benefits of a husband killed in active duty combat, arguing that the current military operation in Iran does not constitute a formal war. "I was heartened to hear that Mrs. Klinner will hopefully receive the benefits she is entitled to, but my concern remains for the many other spouses whose partners are deployed in a protracted Middle East engagement with no congressional approval or end in sight," said Deaton. "The Senate must reestablish itself as an co-equal branch of government. That means supporting passage of a War Powers resolution or placing judicial limits on this unconstitutional military action. "In 2011, the Senate declined to rebuke the Obama administration for a seven-month engagement in Libya. We are on the precipice of establishing another dangerous precedent that pushes the power to declare war away from lawmakers and to the executive branch with no constraints or consequences." BACKGROUND: On Thursday, Vice President Vance said he would seek a briefing on the circumstances of Libby Klinner, who garnered international media attention, and promised the widow of Major John "Alex" Klinner, a Trussville Air Force major killed during Operation Epic Fury will receive the benefits she is entitled to. ( ABC 33/40 , 9/3/26) ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 30, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com BOSTON — Massachusetts U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton has released the first in a series of op-eds for the final month of the campaign. Titled "People Over Politics," Deaton -- a Marine, cancer survivor, and lawyer for working Americans -- expands on his argument that Senator Ed Markey has nothing left to add after 53 years in office except status quo Washington politics. Deaton highlights his biography as a survivor of childhood poverty and sexual abuse before underscoring his promise to serve just two six-year terms. Markey has labeled Deaton a "MAGA Republican" despite Deaton never having voted for the president, a sign that the 80-year-old incumbent -- who on Monday backed out of a second debate -- has no record to run on. Deaton: People Over Politics MASS DAILY NEWS By John Deaton 9/29/26 Sen. Ed Markey just survived another primary. He treated it like the end of the story. It isn't. Massachusetts still has a choice in November. I am that choice. I'm not asking anyone to become a Republican. I'm asking voters to send someone to Washington who has lived the life career politicians talk about. I'm 59. I was born into poverty and wrote about it in my Memoir, Food Stamp Warrior, because I refuse to hide where I came from. Brass knuckles. A mother stabbed in a robbery. Childhood sexual abuse. The Marines. Law school in Boston. Addiction, and mistakes I made as an adult. Before I ever touched cryptocurrency, I spent years representing asbestos victims against some of the biggest corporations in America. All of it is public. I would rather voters know the whole record than pretend I arrived here polished. Ed Markey is counting on voters never learning any of that. Instead of debating my ideas, he has spent this campaign calling me a "Trump sycophant" and a "MAGA Republican." He knows it isn't true. I have never voted for Donald Trump. I said so in 2024 when I ran against Elizabeth Warren, and I say it now. But Sen. Markey isn't interested in the truth. He's interested in a label, one that gives voters permission to stop listening before I've said a word. It's the oldest trick in politics: if you can't beat a man's ideas, make sure no one hears them. That tactic only works if voters stay home from the conversation, and that's exactly what Sen. Markey is hoping for. In June, he was invited to debate Seth Moulton and me on the same stage. He didn't show up. Only as primary day approached did he find the time, debating Moulton three times before the election. Now that he's facing voters of every party and none at all, he has, so far, only agreed to one general election debate. The pattern tells you everything. He shows up when he's scared. He disappears when he thinks he's safe. And he clearly thinks he's safe. Rather than campaigning across Massachusetts, the senator has been out of state stumping for other candidates. He's so sure of your vote that he's spending his time earning someone else's. After fifty years in Congress, that's what being taken for granted looks like. Massachusetts deserves better. Sixty-seven percent of voters here are unenrolled. They're tired of both parties treating them like a cheering section, and they're tired of being told how to vote by people who won't even come ask for it. So I'll keep doing what I've done from the start: holding People Over Politics town halls in every corner of this state, and challenging Sen. Markey to a full slate of debates before November 3. If he could take the stage multiple times in the middle of a pandemic to save his seat, he can take it again now to earn it. Here's what I'd bring to that stage. The first bill I'll file is my Clean Hands Act. It caps House service at three two-year terms and Senate service at two six-year terms. It bans members of Congress from trading stocks, crypto, and commodities. It imposes a lifetime lobbying ban after they leave. And if Congress fails to pass a budget, members don't get paid. Those aren't Republican ideas or Democratic ideas. They're accountability ideas. Career politicians have turned Congress into a retirement plan. Sen. Markey is 80 and says this will be his last term. Fine. Then let's make the rule apply to everyone, not just the man who has already been there half a century. Massachusetts doesn't need another six years of the same speech. It needs a senator who treats immigration like a problem to solve, health care like a bill families actually pay, and Washington like a job you can lose if you stop doing it. I'm not asking you to like my party. I'm asking you to look past the label Ed Markey wants you to see and judge me on what I've done and what I'll do. Put people over politics. That's the only test that matters.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 30, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com CHEVY CHASE, MD — A mobile billboard truck paid for by John Deaton, candidate for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, arrived in front of Senator Ed Markey's (D-MA) year-round residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland this morning, challenging the 80-year-old incumbent to explain why he unexpectedly backed out of a second debate on Monday. The truck, which later spent Wednesday circling the Dirksen Office Building where Markey keeps his official Senate office, carried a message from Deaton and called for Markey to "back out of the U.S. Senate" if he can't be bothered to sufficiently defend his record in the general election. Markey debated his primary opponent, Congressman Seth Moulton, three times on live TV. “Senator Markey takes your vote for granted, which is why he lives outside of Massachusetts and refuses to debate John Deaton – because he knows his pull-string talking points on affordability fall flat,” said Deaton campaign manager Mark Steffen. “We’ll be sending him a message straight from John as long as it takes to get him to respect the voters and stop acting like a king.” BACKGROUND: Markey has been challenged to explain his residency going back decades. In 2020, the Boston Globe detailed Markey's travel records and his refusal to release a utility bill from his childhood home in Malden where he claims to live. ( Boston Globe , 7/27/20) More recently, Markey appeared out of state stumping for Democratic candidates for Senate. ( Off the Press , 9/17/2026) On Monday, Markey backed out of a planned debate with WCVB, leaving just one debate in Boston and no debates in Western Massachusetts despite offers from multiple stations. ( New Boston Post , 9/29/26)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 17, 2026 Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 Press@johndeatonforsenate.com In two new interviews, John Deaton says he would break up insurance and pharmaceutical companies to bring down costs for consumers. BOSTON - Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton today contrasted his agenda with Sen. Ed Markey's half-century in Washington, saying Massachusetts families need results on health care and immigration, not recycled talking points. Deaton said he would work to break up vertically integrated insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, increase competition and transparency, and drive down health-care costs. On immigration, he said he would pursue real reform with a workable path forward rather than slogans that go nowhere. Deaton reiterated these points on On the Record on WCVB TV-5 and @Issue Sitdown with Matt Prichard on NBC 10 Boston. Interviews linked below. "Unlike Markey's 50-year record, I'm running on solutions, not slogans," Deaton said. "People in this state are paying too much for care and getting too little from Washington. That doesn't change because you put a slogan on a sign." "I'll take on the middlemen who inflate prices, open the books, and fight for a system that actually works for patients," Deaton said. "And I'll treat immigration like a problem to solve, not a line for a rally. Massachusetts deserves someone who will do the work, not someone who has spent 50 years practicing the same speech." ###