Source: Michael M. Santiago / Getty
A pair of white men who operate as apparently racist conspiracy theorists were fined more than $1 million for orchestrating a robocalling scheme to keep would-be Black voters in New York from casting ballots via mail for the 2020 election, State Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday.
The fines levied against Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl came more than one year after a judge found them “liable for targeting Black voters and transmitting false and threatening messages intended to discourage voting,” James’ office said in a press release.
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“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. “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.”
Police officers surround Jacob Wohl as he taunts protesters during a “Trump/Pence Out Now” rally at Black Lives Matter Plaza on August 27, 2020, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Michael M. Santiago / Getty
The racist robocalls preyed upon stereotypical fears and said voting by mail would alert law enforcement.
James’ office provided an example of the racist robocalls:
“Hi, this is Tamika Taylor from Project 1599, the civil rights organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl. Mail-in voting sounds great, but did you know that if you vote by mail, your personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants and be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debts? The CDC is even pushing to use records for mail-in voting to track people for mandatory vaccines. Don’t be finessed into giving your private information to the man, stay safe and beware of vote by mail.”
One New Yorker was so disturbed by one of the calls that he experienced “severe anxiety and distress and ultimately withdrew his voter registration,” according to the attorney general’s office.
An estimated 5,500 New Yorkers were contacted by these robocalls that were credited to a fake company called Project 1599 created by Burkman and Wohl.
The ruling could help deter similar actions ahead of this year’s presidential election.
Tuesday was the latest instance of James holding racist and corrupt white men accountable for their illegal actions.
Jack Burkman on January 10, 2017, in Washington, D.C. | Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Aside from securing a landmark ruling in March in which a judge ordered former President Donald Trump to pay more than $450 million in damages after being found guilty of engaging in fraudulent business practices spanning decades, James in February won a lawsuit against the National Rifle Association (NRA) and three of its current and former senior leaders after a jury found they engaged in financial misconduct and corruption while overseeing the organization. That includes now-former Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, who was found to have exploited his position for personal gain, directing lucrative contracts to friends and family members, as well as extravagant spending on travel, private jets, luxury clothing and more, resulting in a $4.35 million judgment in damages.
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