Conservative operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman have been charged in Ohio with counts related to a duplicitous robocall about mail-in voting, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor announced Tuesday.
Mr. Wohl, 22, of Los Angeles, California, and Mr. Burkman, 54, of Arlington, Virginia, now face criminal charges in two states and a civil suit in a third related to the automated phone calls.
Both men — frequent collaborators known for pushing unfounded conspiracy theories — are believed to be responsible for a robocall made in their names containing bogus claims about voting by mail.
Recipients of the robocall heard a prerecorded message that claimed mail-in ballots may be used to find voters with arrest warrants or unpaid debts, or “to track people for mandatory vaccines.”
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said the duo is suspected of having placed 67,000 calls across the Midwest, including 8,100 to telephone numbers located in Cleveland and East Cleveland.
Each has accordingly been indicted on eight counts of telecommunications fraud and seven counts of bribery, which Ohio state law describes as an attempt by “intimidation, coercion or other unlawful means” to prevent a person from voting.
“The right to vote is the most fundamental component of our nation’s democracy. These individuals clearly infringed upon that right in a blatant attempt to suppress votes and undermine the integrity of this election. These actions will not be tolerated. Anyone who interferes with others’ right to vote must be held accountable,” prosecutor Michael O’Malley said in a statement.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office charged both men with multiple counts related to the robocalls on Oct. 1, and a voter engagement group later sued over the calls in Manhattan federal court.
Messages requesting comment from Mr. Wohl and Mr. Burkman were not immediately answered. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges in Michigan, which include counts of intimidating voters and conspiracy to commit an election law violation, among other charges
Warrants have been issued in Cleveland for their arrest, Mr. O’Malley’s office said in the statement.
Mr. Wohl and Mr. Burkman each face a maximum sentence of 18.5 years incarceration if convicted of all counts they face in Ohio, Mr. O’Malley’s office said.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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