Michigan AG Charges Two Conservatives With Felonies Over Robocall Scheme To Mislead Voters
CBS Detroit - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is charging in what others call "right-wing provocateurs" after they set up a racist robocall that went out to thousands of Detroiters. As we reported back in August, Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman are accused of allegedly sending out misinformation concerning the general election.
According to the Detroit News, the robocall seeks to discredit Detroit voters from mailing in their votes. Doing so would place them in a database the government and private companies would use to track them down for warrants or debt. The robocall recording claims that mailing in your vote would be used by the CDC to track people down for a mandatory vaccine. "Don't be (inaudible) into giving your private information to the man. Stay safe, and beware of vote by mail," concluded the recording.
Nessel charged Wohl and Burkman with a count of attempting to intimidate voters, conspiracy to commit election fraud, using a computer to attempt to intimidate voters, and using a computer to commit conspiracy. If convicted, each carries a punishment of five to seven years in prison.
It is estimated that perhaps 85,000 calls were made in Michigan and similar calls in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois. Burkman resides in Virginia and Wohl in California. Nessel's office is doing everything to ensure they both make their Michigan court appearances to the charges against them.
While certain types of robocalls are illegal, according to the Federal Trade Commission, robocalls that are informational or political are legal. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a news release, "I am grateful to the attorney general for her swift and thorough investigation, putting anyone else who would seek to undermine citizens' fundamental rights on notice that we will use every tool at our disposal to dispel false rhetoric and seek justice on behalf of every voter who is targeted and harmed by any attempt to suppress their vote." Adding that she has zero-tolerance for anyone who deceives a citizen's right to vote.
As previously reported, the recording claims to be on behalf of Project 1599 which is claimed to be started by Wohl and Burkman who are no strangers when it comes to hatching up schemes. Wohl was charged with a felony in California in August of 2019 for trying to sell unqualified securities. The Washington Post reported that Burkman tried to discredit Senator Ted Cruz's election by claiming that Cruz's father was somehow involved in President Kennedy's Assassination.
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