FCC weighs record $5 million fine for election robocalls
(The Center Square) – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed levying a $5.1 million fine on right-wing activists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl for allegedly making 1,141 illegal election-related robocalls without prior consent.
If enacted, the fine would be the largest ever under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the FCC says.
The robocalls completed on August 26 and September 14, 2020, warned potential voters that if they vote 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.”
The calls allegedly targeting urban areas, including Detroit, identified Wohl and Burkman by name and used Burkman’s wireless phone number as the caller ID. Wohl and Burkman admitted under oath to their involvement in the creation and distribution of the robocalls.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel applauded the estimate.
“This massive fine properly reflects the seriousness of the allegations these two political operatives face. Mr. Burkman and Mr. Wohl allegedly orchestrated a series of robocalls aimed at suppressing the vote in the November general election,” she said. “While my office will continue to pursue the criminal case against these men, I applaud the FCC for its action today.”
Burkman and Wohl are awaiting trial in Wayne County Circuit Court after a failed dismissal attempt, announced in May.
The two face the following:
Election law – intimidating voters, a felony punishable by up to five years;Conspiracy to commit an election law violation, a felony punishable by up to five years;Using a computer to commit the crime of election law – intimidating voters, a felony punishable by up to seven years; andUsing a computer to commit the crime of conspiracy, a felony punishable by up to seven years.
Their next court date is Sept. 21 for a final conference before the Hon. Margaret Van Houten.
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