For his part, Benyak admitted to his roles in the films but said that he only did so as "a favor to a friend."
"Unfortunately, I have become political fodder in a game of high-stakes politics due to a small role I played in a low budget film as a favor to a friend struggling to fulfill his own dreams," Benyak wrote in an email to the Tribune-Review.
"I'm a veteran, a small business owner, and I'm active in my community. If helping friends in need is what I'm charged with, then I am guilty, and I won't apologize for it."