Right-wing fraudsters fined $1.25M for racist election robocall scheme

Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, the right-wing fraudsters who orchestrated a robocall campaign targeting Black voters in seven states during the 2020 election, have agreed to pay $1.25 million in a settlement with New York Attorney General Letitia James. 

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and it belongs to everyone. We will not allow anyone to threaten that right,” James said in a statement on the settlement. “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.” 

The pair was found liable by a federal judge in New York in 2023 for the robocalling scheme. According to a consent decree the two signed, Wohl and Burkman must “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 decree remains in place for eight years.