MAGA Influencers Settle With New York AG, Paying Over a Million Dollars in Robocall Case Targeting Black Voters

The screenshot shows the content of the webpage or application at a specific moment. It captures a visual representation of what is displayed on the screen at that time. Screenshots can be taken on various devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. They are often used to share information, demonstrate a problem or error, or provide visual evidence of a specific event or situation. Screenshots can be helpful in troubleshooting technical issues, documenting important information, or showcasing a particular feature or design element. They are a valuable tool for communication and can be easily shared and understood by others.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has successfully reached a settlement with MAGA pranksters Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman for their robocall scheme aimed at discouraging Black Americans from voting during the 2020 election. As part of the out-of-court settlement, Wohl and Burkman have been ordered to pay a sum of “up to $1.25 million.”

Wohl and Burkman were held responsible by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in March 2023 for their actions of “targeting Black voters and disseminating deceptive and intimidating messages with the intention of suppressing voting.” James, in a statement released on Tuesday, expressed,

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and it belongs to everyone. We will not allow anyone to threaten that right. 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.

Wohl and Burkman allegedly conducted a robocall operation in multiple states, including Michigan and Ohio, where they faced criminal charges. The calls specifically targeted Black voters and made false claims about the risks of voting by mail. It was easy to link Wohl and Burkman to the calls as they were mentioned by name. According to Marrero’s ruling in October 2020, these calls reached approximately 85,000 individuals.

I came across a sample robocall that goes like this:

Hi, this is Tamika Taylor from Project 1599, the civil rights organization founded by Jack Burman [sic] 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 home safe and beware of vote by mail.

According to James, the number of calls in New York alone was estimated to be around 5,500 individuals. She initially sought damages of approximately $2.75 million, which equates to $500 per call.

Reference Article

Avatar photo
MBS Staff
Articles: 7044

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *