Conservative activists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman have agreed to pay $1 million for running a voter suppression campaign targeting Black voters during the 2020 election. This punishment, announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James, is in response to their actions of orchestrating a voter suppression campaign four years ago using robocalls to spread misinformation and discourage voting among Black voters. A federal judge found them liable for targeting Black voters in New York and stated that they set up a voter suppression operation to discourage voting through mail-in ballots during the 2020 Election.
As part of the deal reached with James’ office, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and several individual plaintiffs, Wohl and Burkman have agreed to pay a $1 million judgment. If they fail to pay a minimum amount by December 31, 2024, the total amount will increase to $1.25 million. The agreement has yet to be approved by a judge. Attorney General James stated that Wohl and Burkman conducted a disinformation campaign to intimidate Black voters and sway the election in favor of their preferred candidate. She emphasized that her office will always defend the right to vote.
David Schwartz, the attorney for Wohl and Burkman, expressed that his clients are content with the settlement and are looking forward to moving on from the case to focus on their families and careers. The voter suppression campaign in New York involved robocalls targeting Black voters, falsely claiming that voting by mail could lead to being tracked for warrants, debts, and mandatory vaccines. Approximately 5,500 individuals received these calls, with a script warning about information being used by police departments and credit card companies.
Wohl and Burkman have faced previous penalties for similar voter suppression schemes during the 2020 election, including being ordered to spend 500 hours registering voters in Washington, DC, after running a voter suppression campaign in multiple states. The Federal Communications Commission proposed a record $5 million fine against them for violating robocalling laws in 2021. In addition, there are pending criminal charges against the duo in Michigan. The story is ongoing, with updates being provided as more information becomes available.
