"Conservative Hoaxers Fined $1.25M for 2020 Voter Suppression Robocall Scheme"

Conservative operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman have agreed to pay up to $1.25 million in a settlement with New York state over a 2020 robocall scheme aimed at dissuading Black people from voting. The robocalls, which falsely warned of arrest, debt collection, and forced vaccination if people voted by mail, targeted predominantly Black neighborhoods in several states. The settlement also requires the operatives to notify the attorney general's office before any lobbying or political campaigning in New York and submit future election-related communications for review. Attorney General Letitia James emphasized the importance of protecting the right to vote and stated that the pair orchestrated a disinformation campaign to intimidate Black voters.