Two right-wing operatives dodged jail time on Monday after pleading no contest to charges related to a racist robocall campaign targeting Detroit voters. Jack Burkman, 59, and Jacob Wohl, 27, were sentenced to one year of probation for their role in creating and funding the series of robocalls that spread false information about voting by mail in 2020.
The calls, which were sent to nearly 12,000 numbers linked to Detroit addresses, falsely warned recipients that sharing personal information on mail-in ballots could lead to arrest or collection of unpaid credit card debts. The messages also claimed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would use the information to track people for mandatory vaccines.
Burkman and Wohl pleaded no contest to charges including bribery, intimidation, conspiracy, and election law violations. They had been accused of using every "racist dog whistle" to suppress turnout among Black voters in Detroit.
Attorney General Dana Nessel condemned the scheme, saying it was an egregious example of targeted voter suppression. She warned that if Burkman and Wohl engage in criminal behavior while on probation, they would be held accountable.
The case had moved through years of appeals before being resolved under a Cobbs agreement between the defendants and the court. The agreement allowed the judge to estimate the sentence in advance, but the Michigan Attorney General's Office was not part of that agreement.
Burkman and Wohl still face consequences elsewhere. They previously agreed to pay up to $1.25 million for similar voter suppression robocalls in multiple states.
The incident highlights the ongoing struggles with voter suppression and misinformation in US elections. As one lawyer noted, "voter intimidation is a serious crime" that undermines the fundamental right to vote.
The calls, which were sent to nearly 12,000 numbers linked to Detroit addresses, falsely warned recipients that sharing personal information on mail-in ballots could lead to arrest or collection of unpaid credit card debts. The messages also claimed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would use the information to track people for mandatory vaccines.
Burkman and Wohl pleaded no contest to charges including bribery, intimidation, conspiracy, and election law violations. They had been accused of using every "racist dog whistle" to suppress turnout among Black voters in Detroit.
Attorney General Dana Nessel condemned the scheme, saying it was an egregious example of targeted voter suppression. She warned that if Burkman and Wohl engage in criminal behavior while on probation, they would be held accountable.
The case had moved through years of appeals before being resolved under a Cobbs agreement between the defendants and the court. The agreement allowed the judge to estimate the sentence in advance, but the Michigan Attorney General's Office was not part of that agreement.
Burkman and Wohl still face consequences elsewhere. They previously agreed to pay up to $1.25 million for similar voter suppression robocalls in multiple states.
The incident highlights the ongoing struggles with voter suppression and misinformation in US elections. As one lawyer noted, "voter intimidation is a serious crime" that undermines the fundamental right to vote.
they're trying to erode our democracy by spreading lies and fear... but you know what? it's not them, it's us who need to wake up 
we gotta be more vigilant about sharing information and verifying sources... can't let people like these two guys control the narrative 
and manipulate others into feeling scared or excluded. we gotta look out for each other and make sure everyone has access to the truth 
and remember, the power is in our hands, not theirs 
. Like, who tries to rob a call? 
Robocalls are literally the worst, and then you find out it was just two dudes trying to scam people... I'm surprised they didn't try to pass off their own poop as mail-in ballots 
.
. And now these guys are just gonna skate on a misdemeanor charge because of some loophole in the system? It's like, hello, justice?! 
. And can we talk about how these two clowns are gonna try to spin this? Like, "Oh, I was just trying to make a living" or whatever... nope, dude, you were playing dirty 
.
!
robocall nonsense! These two guys, Burkman and Wohl, thought it was okay to spread false info about voting by mail in Detroit? 
And can you believe they thought they could get away with it and only face a year of probation? It's just not right. 
We need more people like her who are willing to speak out against voter intimidation and misinformation. 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... these two guys must've been outta their minds to think they could get away with spreading such hate-filled lies about voting in Detroit 
. The fact that they were using racist dog whistles to scare off Black voters is just despicable... how can people be so heartless? 
this is so not surprising. These guys dodged jail time? 
and it just goes to show that our justice system is totally broken 
.
and what about the people who got targeted by these robocalls? did they get any help or support from the authorities?