Conservative operatives who targeted Black voters with robocalls could pay up to $1.25 million

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Source: The Hill

04/09/24 12:11 PM ET


Two conservative operatives who attempted to stop Black voters in New York from voting by mail in the 2020 election have been ordered to pay up to $1.25 million in restitution. Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman were found liable in 2023 for targeting Black voters with false and threatening messages intended to discourage voting. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said at the time that the two had violated multiple federal and state civil rights laws.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that Wohl and Burkman had conceded to a $1 million judgment to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and individual plaintiffs. James filed the lawsuit against the two defendants in May 2021. If Wohl and Burkman fail to pay at least $105,000 by Dec. 31 and do not address the failure to pay within 30 days, the amount will increase to $1.25 million.

“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 Tuesday. “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.”

Burkman and Wohl pleaded guilty in October 2022 to a single count each of felony telecommunications fraud over the robocalls. They were sentenced in November 2022 to two years probation, six months of electronic monitoring and 500 hours of community service in a voter registration drive.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4582819-conservative-operatives-targeted-black-voters-robocalls-settlement/