Another victory for Letitia James: Right-wing duo fined $1.25 million for voter suppression tactics Robocall against black voters in New York

The New York State Attorney General’s office has fined two right-wing political activists who launched a robocall campaign, causing “serious alarm and distress” amongst voters in New York and intended to discourage black voters in several states. he said.

Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman were found liable in federal court last March for “transmitting false and threatening messages intended to discourage” black voters in New York, According to to the press release. Now the couple – known for political fraud – have been ordered to pay as much as $1.25 million for their misconduct, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday.

In the summer of 2020, roughly 5,500 New Yorkers received robocalls falsely claiming that voting by mail would result in their personal information being sent to law enforcement, debt collectors and the federal government. The calls got here as many states encouraged mail-in voting as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to James’ press release, one New York voter who received a threatening robocall experienced “serious anxiety and distress,” which led him to withdraw his voter registration.

The National Coalition for Black Civic Participation was forced to divert significant resources to handle false claims made in the decision after voters received a robocall.

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy and belongs to everyone. We will not allow anyone to threaten that right,” New York Attorney General James said in a written statement. “Wohl and Burkman mounted a depraved and disinformation campaign to intimidate black voters in order to influence the election in favor of their preferred candidate. Now they will pay up to $1.25 million to my office, the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation, and those harmed by their plan. My office will always defend the right to vote.”

Wohl and Burkman agreed to a $1 million judgment for the state attorney general’s office, coalition and individual plaintiffs under the plea agreement. If they fail to pay a minimum of $105,000 by December 31 and proper the nonpayment inside 30 days, that quantity will increase to $1.25 million.

In May 2021, James filed a lawsuit against them after an investigation found they violated state and federal laws. The duo operated under their fictional organization called “Project 1599”. They also organized robocalls to harass Black communities with misinformation, including claims that the non-public information of mail-in voters could be turned over to law enforcement, debt collectors and the federal government.

Meanwhile, the duo faces criminal charges in Ohio and extra penalties for robocall fraud in several states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Burkman and Wohl pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2022 in Ohio, and a state judge ordered them to spend 500 hours registering low- and middle-income Americans to vote.

The robocalls were reportedly voiced by a lady who identified herself as Tamika Taylor of a civil rights organization called The 1599 Project. Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor James Gutierrez noted in court that Breonna Taylor’s mother can be named Tamika.

Breonna Taylor was fatally shot during a police raid in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020, sparking nationwide protests and international outrage. Gutierrez said greater than 6,400 robocalls were made to voters in predominantly black neighborhoods in Cleveland and east of the town.

LawandCrime.com sent sample of pretend calls: “Hi, this is Tamika Taylor from the 1599 Project, a civil rights organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl. Voting by mail sounds great, but did you know that if you vote by mail, your personal information will become part of a public database that will be used by police to track old warrants and credit card companies will be used to collect outstanding payments? long? The CDC even insists on using mail-in ballot data to track those eligible for mandatory vaccines. Don’t be fooled into giving a man your private information, stay safe and be careful with postal voting.”

In February, James won a big case against the National Rifle Association and its former CEO Wayne LaPierre and scored a penalty-phase victory in a civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump.

Another victory for Letitia James: Right-wing duo fined $1.25 million for voter suppression tactics Robocall against black voters in New York