Far-Right Activists Plead No Contest in Voter Intimidation Robocall Case
Two far-right activists, John Burkman and Jacob Wohl, have entered a plea of no contest to charges related to a robocall operation aimed at deterring Black voters in Detroit from participating in the 2020 election.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated that Burkman, 59, and Wohl, 27, funded a robocall campaign that targeted urban areas, including Detroit, with false information to dissuade voters from casting their ballots.
Details of the Robocall Scheme
The robocalls, which were sent to nearly 12,000 residents with Detroit zip codes, falsely claimed that voting by mail would result in personal information being shared with police departments and credit card companies. The calls were strategically crafted to discourage potential Detroit voters from participating in the election.
Burkman and Wohl pleaded no contest to four felonies, including bribing or intimidating voters, conspiracy to commit an election law violation, and using a computer to facilitate voter intimidation and election law violations.
Sentencing and Previous Cases
The activists are scheduled to be sentenced in Wayne County on December 1. They have previously faced legal consequences for similar actions in other jurisdictions. In one instance, a federal court mandated them to make corrective calls to rectify the misinformation spread through the robocalls.
Additionally, an Ohio judge ordered Burkman and Wohl to dedicate 500 hours to registering voters, while a New York judge approved a settlement fining them over $1 million for their involvement in the voter intimidation scheme.
