Bad actors to pay $1.25M for robocalls designed to prevent Black voters from voting by mail ahead of the 2020 election
On April 9, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she reached an agreement on proposed relief from two conspiracy theorists who launched a robocall campaign designed to prevent Black New Yorkers from voting by mail ahead of the 2020 election. In March 2023, a federal judge ruled in Attorney General James’ favor and found Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman liable for targeting Black voters and transmitting false and threatening messages intended to discourage voting. Under this agreement, Wohl and Burkman will pay up to $1.25 million for their wrongdoing.
The two right-wing political operatives, who have a history of concocting conspiracy theories to try to smear Democrats, were found liable last March of orchestrating a robocall campaign that reached about 5,500 predominantly Black New Yorkers in the summer of 2020. Targeted voters received automated calls — purportedly from a “civil rights organization” founded by Wohl and Burkman called “Project 1599” — that sought to dissuade them from mail-in voting. ~ The Washington Post
See the Consent Degree Against the Defendants
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and it belongs to everyone. We will not allow anyone to threaten that right,” said Attorney General James. “Wohl and Burkman orchestrated a depraved and disinformation-ridden campaign to intimidate Black voters in an attempt to sway the election in favor of their preferred candidate. Now they will pay up to $1.25 million to my office, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and the individuals who were harmed by their scheme. My office will always defend the right to vote.”
Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against Wohl and Burkman in May 2021 after an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that they violated state and federal laws. While hiding behind their sham organization “Project 1599,” Wohl and Burkman orchestrated robocalls to threaten and harass Black communities with disinformation, including claims that mail-in voters would have their personal information disseminated to law enforcement, debt collectors, and the government. In August 2022, Attorney General James announced a settlement with robocalling platform Message Communications for its role in sending out the illegal robocall designed by Wohl and Burkman.
The Wohl and Burkman robocall campaign, which reached approximately 5,500 New Yorkers, sought to undermine and interfere with the then-ongoing efforts by New York state to fairly and safely administer its elections during the COVID-19 crisis and protect its citizens from voter intimidation and harassment. During the summer of 2020, voters received automated calls falsely claiming that voting by mail would cause the voter to be tracked for outstanding warrants, credit card debt, and mandatory vaccines, for example:
“Hi, this is Tamika Taylor from Project 1599, the civil rights organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl. Mail-in voting sounds great, but did you know that if you vote by mail, your personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants and be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debts? The CDC is even pushing to use records for mail-in voting to track people for mandatory vaccines. Don’t be finessed into giving your private information to the man, stay safe and beware of vote by mail.”
One New York voter who received the threatening robocall suffered severe anxiety and distress, and ultimately withdrew his voter registration. After voters received the robocall, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) was forced to redirect considerable resources to address the false claims made in the call.
Under the agreement, Wohl and Burkman conceded a $1 million judgment to OAG, NCBCP, and individual plaintiffs. If Wohl and Burkman fail to pay at least $105,000 by December 31, 2024, and do not address the failure to pay within 30 days, the amount will increase to $1.25 million.
“These men engaged in a conspiracy to suppress Black votes in the 2020 general election,” said Melanie Campbell, President/CEO of NCBCP. “They used intimidation and scare tactics, attempting to spread harmful disinformation about voting in an effort to silence Black voices. Their conduct cannot and will not be tolerated. This settlement serves as a marker for those who seek to engage in such efforts. There will be consequences for their actions. They will pay for the harm they cause to our democracy.”
Attorney General James urges voters with election-related concerns to contact OAG by submitting a complaint online or calling 1-800-771-7755.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Source: Office of the New York Attorney General)
(Cover photo, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Image credit: Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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