Elections

Robocalls to voters before 2020 election result in $5 million fine

The Federal Communications Commission hit conservative provocateurs Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman with the fine over claims targeting voters in several states

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The Federal Communications Commission announced this week that it will serve a $5.1 million fine against conservative activists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl and J.M. Burkman & Associates over their role in making 1,141 unlawful robocalls ahead of the 2020 election. 

The FCC said the robocalls were made from Aug. 26 and Sept. 14, 2020 in states including New York, Ohio and Michigan, according to state prosecutors, who said the scheme was an attempt to suppress the Black vote in the run-up to the presidential election.

The calls identified Burkman and Wohl, and they told potential voters that if they voted by mail, their “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.” 

Burkman and Wohl, who have been involved in a number of attention-grabbing plans involving opponents of former President Donald Trump, have since pleaded guilty to one count of telecommunications fraud. They were sentenced to community service that entails registering voters in minority and low-income communities, according to the FCC.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

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