The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed fining two pro-Trump activists over $5 million dollars for making robocalls during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.
Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, two conservative activists known for staging pranks, could face a $5.1 million fine for making 1,141 unlawful robocalls to potential voters in August and September of 2020, the FCC announced Tuesday. The calls violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits individuals from making prerecorded phone calls to consumers without required prior consent.
Wohl and Burkman allegedly sent prerecorded messages telling 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,” according to the FCC. The robocalls named Wohl and Burkman, and the caller ID showed the calls came from Burkman’s number, according to the agency.
Police officers surround Jacob Wohl as he taunts protesters during a “Trump/Pence Out Now” rally at Black Lives Matter plaza August 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Wohl and Burkman admitted under oath to the “creation and distribution” of the calls, the FCC said. (RELATED: Man Can’t Maintain Composure As He Makes Absurd Allegations Involving Elizabeth Warren And Lime Green Sex Toy)
“We understand that the Biden Administration is desperate to distract from their debacle in Afghanistan and Joe’s declining mental state, but we will not be deterred or discouraged,” Wohl and Burkman said in statements to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Wohl and Burkman were both charged with multiple felonies in Michigan for making the robocalls.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the pair in May 2021 for making roughly 5,500 robocalls to New York voters, with a potential fine of up to $500 per call.
The FCC’s proposed penalty is not final, and Wohl and Burkman will have an opportunity to respond and submit evidence to the agency for review before its final decision.
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