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The Federal Communications Commission has recommended that conservative operators Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl be fined $5,134,500 for automated calls they make to deter postal voting.
FCC Acting Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel said Tuesday that Mr. Burkman and Mr. Wohl must pay the amount for “clearly” violations of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
The proposed implementation would potentially resolve one of several issues involving automated calling on and on behalf of Mr. Burkman, Mr. Wohl. They also face numerous state civil and criminal charges.
Prior to last Election Day, people in several states reported receiving an automated call with the same pre-recorded message from a woman who made false statements about the postal voting process:
“Hello, this is Tamika Taylor of Project 1599, the civil rights organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl. Postal voting sounds good, but if you vote by mail, your personal information will be used by police departments to track old permits and unpaid debts by credit card companies. “Did you know it will be part of a public database that will be used to collect debts? The CDC is even pushing to use records to vote by mail to track people for mandatory vaccinations. Don’t be so gracious to give your private information to the guy, stay safe and avoid voting by mail.”
The FCC said it determined a total of 1,141 automated calls to wireless phones were made without express prior consent in violation of TCPA and recommended that the pair be fined $4,500 for each.
In a news release announcing the proposed confiscation, the FCC described it as the largest fine it has ever sought for an automated call in violation of TCPA, a federal law that has regulated such calls since 1991.
“Across the board, the FCC is stepping up its efforts to combat illegal robberies,” said Ms Rosenworcel, a Democrat appointed to the commission by former President Obama in 2012.
Mr Wohl told the Washington Times he would “not be deterred or discouraged” by the proposed confiscation. Mr. Burkman did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Both men will be allowed to respond to the FCC’s offer before a final amount is determined for the fine. The FCC noted that each was admitted under an oath that they were responsible for the automated search.
Attorneys general in Michigan and Ohio filed charges against both men for robbery in late 2020. More recently, New York Attorney General Letitia James requested in May that she participate in a civil suit currently pending in US federal court against both men. Manhattan.
The 1,141 automated calls to FCC-defined cordless phones are a tiny fraction of the total amount believed to have been placed. Ms. James said the call was made to more than 85,000 numbers nationwide.
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