The former leader of the South Australian Liberal Party David Speirs has found himself in the middle of a controversy, after a video was leaked appearing to show him snort something off a plate. Speirs had adamantly denied the legitimacy of the video, and called it a deep fake.
The footage of the former SA Opposition Leader was released by The Advertiser, and depicts Speirs at his kitchen table surrounded by bottles and a cigarette lighter.
Now because this next bit involved both claims about a kitchen counter and kitchen counter counter-claims, I’m going to be incredibly careful with how I describe what happened next in the clip.
In the allegedly deepfaked video, the person who appears to be Speirs bends down over a kitchen bench, allegedly holding a five-dollar note that may or may not be rolled. The depiction of Speirs then appears to snort a non-specified white powder from a kitchen plate… ALLEGEDLY.
PEDESTRIAN.TV is not suggesting any wrongdoing took place, or that the white substance in the video is anything illicit.
According to the publication, the data from the video says it was recorded at “4.12am on June 30 this year in [Speirs’] Kingston Park home”.
When the 39-year-old politician was asked about the video today by another journalist from The Advertiser, Speirs said he was “really troubled” by the video.
“That was certainly not me,” Speirs said.
“That is very strange … I would never have done that. I’m quite horrified by that.”
@the.tiser Former SA Opposition Leader David Speirs says he's been embroiled in a digital hoax over video of him appearing to snort white powder, calling the footage "very troubling". #politics #southaustralia ♬ original sound – The Advertiser
In an additional quote given to The Advertiser, Speirs said he was the “victim of a deep fake or an elaborate hoax”, and said that the video could not have been him, as he was not home at the time it was shot.
“I was overseas for two weeks in June and during that time other persons had access to my home, giving rise to the opportunity for someone to obtain footage of my premises,” he said.
“I am extremely disappointed by this and assure South Australians that I would never take illicit substances, I never have and I never will.”
Prior to releasing the footage, The Advertiser had it examined by Dr Matthew Sorell, an internationally-recognised expert in digital forensic sciences with almost two decades of experience.
After extensive testing and examination of the video and a supporting photograph, the publication said Sorell came back with the following findings:
“It is my opinion that each file is internally consistent and shows no indication of alteration of content or metadata,” he said, per the publication.
“Based on my detailed technical review, the photographs and video appear to be authentic, internally consistent, and without indications of tampering of content, metadata or file structure.”
David Speirs was previously the SA Liberal Party leader, and stepped down from the role on August 8 of this year due to not having enough energy, saying he’d “had a gutful”.
“It’s not easy being leader of the opposition – and doing it for two years and four months has certainly taken its toll on me and it’s taken its toll on my family and my friends,” Speirs said.
What a relief things have quietened down for him since he finished up.
[Image: The Advertiser/Nine]
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