Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman Fined $1.25M for ‘Depraved’ Robocall Scheme
Notorious conspiracy theorists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman will pay up to $1.25 million for perpetuating a bogus robocall campaign in the runup to the 2020 presidential election, aimed at scaring Black voters from casting mail-in ballots, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.
The right-wing hucksters, who have faced numerous other lawsuits and court actions for their MAGA-adjacent activities, were found liable in March 2023 for “transmitting false and threatening messages intended to discourage voting” by Black New Yorkers, James’ announcement said.“[I]n written communications, Defendants referred to the call ‘as the ‘black robo’...and used terms like...‘HIJACK’ the election to refer to their operation,” according to a consent decree filed Monday.
The consent decree will remain in place for eight years, and forbids Wohl and Burkman from violating “ any applicable laws, including but not limited to the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, New York Civil Rights Law § 9, New York Civil Rights Law § 40-c, and New York Executive Law § 63(12).”“Defendants shall refrain from knowingly creating, sponsoring, or transmitting any robocall or other Mass Communication that would intimidate or deter voters from voting by any method in any election,” the consent decree states. “Defendants shall refrain from knowingly creating, sponsoring, or transmitting any robocalls or other Mass Communication containing any false or fraudulent information concerning voting, the right to vote, or the conduct of elections.”