Two conservative election frauds will now have to pay up to $1.2 million as part of a settlement agreement for their role in a robocall campaign against Black voters during the 2020 election.
On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who first filed the lawsuit in May 2021 after an investigation, announced that Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman need to pay up to approximately $1.25 million to the Office of the Attorney General, the plaintiffs and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
Through the agreement, they officially need to pay a minimum of $1 million, but failure to pay on time will result in the settlement reaching $1.25 million. If the amount is paid on time, it may be reduced to $393,000.
Wohl and Burkman’s robocall campaign targeted approximately 5,500 New York state voters- a majority of whom were Black voters.
Considered a form of voter intimidation, their phone calls claimed that, if the voters placed their vote by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, their personal information would be traced for outstanding warrants, credit card debt and mandatory vaccines.
Conspiracy theorists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman must pay up to $1.25 million for their racist and dangerous voter intimidation campaign that targeted Black voters.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) April 9, 2024
Voting is our most basic democratic right, and I'll always fight to protect it. https://t.co/kE6w0zh0zP
According to the transcript released by the OAG, the speaker on the automated phone call identified themselves as “Tamika Taylor of Project 1599.”
As a result of the phone calls, one plaintiff said that they suffered from extreme levels of anxiety and distress, forcing them to remove their registration to vote.
The announcement of the settlement comes amidst increased worries of voter suppression.
According to a 2022 study by KFF, nearly 71% of Black voters expressed worries that there will be something interfering with their right to vote. Of these voters, approximately one in five said that they were victims of voter suppression as they had their registration questioned and failed to receive mail-in ballots.
In her announcement of the latest case, Attorney General James emphasized the importance of being able to vote.
“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. “My office will always defend the right to vote.”
“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,” she added.
Previously, in late 2022, Wohl and Burkman were fined in Ohio after pleading guilty to telecommunications fraud.
As part of their sentence, they were charged with $2,500 in fines, two years probation, six months with an ankle bracelet and 500 hours of helping voters register in the nation’s capital.
Both Wohl and Burkman are still being held on trial in Michigan after arguments were held in November last year.
“They used intimidation and scare tactics, attempting to spread harmful disinformation about voting in an effort to silence Black voices,” said the President/CEO of NCBCP, Melanie Campbell. “There will be consequences for their actions. They will pay for the harm they cause to our democracy.”
