Officials Weaponize Act Against Critics

This provision grants government officials, public officers, judiciary members, and election candidates enforceable rights to pursue misinformation claims against critics, creating severe power asymmetry. Officials can leverage institutional resources and political backing to pursue claims while critics face resource constraints defending themselves. The vague definition of "candidate" (including anyone "publicly known to contest") extends protection to potential candidates before formal declaration, shrinking space for pre-election scrutiny. By allowing officials to pursue claims in both official and personal capacity, the provision enables reframing legitimate policy criticism as personal misinformation, circumventing limits on government claims about "insults."