The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $5,134,500 fine against controversial conservative activists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman on Tuesday — the largest robocall fine ever proposed by the commission.
The FCC alleges that Wohl and Burkman recorded and sent a total of 1,141 robocalls to wireless phones on Aug. 26 and Sept. 14 of 2020. Wohl and Burkman are accused of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by making these calls without consent, according to a press release from the FCC.
FCC ROLLS OUT NEW PLAN TO COMBAT ROBOCALLS
The robocalls instructed voters not to cast their ballots by mail. The calls claimed that if they did, their personal information would be accessed by police and credit card companies without consent.
The FCC investigated the situation after receiving complaints from citizens and a nonprofit organization. Working with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau tracked down the source of the calls. The bureau also confirmed that recipients had not given consent to be contacted. The bureau also found emails from Wohl and Burkman to dialing service vendors soliciting them to make the calls.
“The calls themselves identified Wohl and Burkman by name and used Burkman’s wireless phone number as the caller ID,” the FCC’s press release reads. “Wohl and Burkman also both admitted under oath to their involvement in the creation and distribution of the robocalls, with Burkman stating in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, ‘That is our call, yes, yes’ with confirmation from Wohl.”
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Wohl has yet to comment on the fine, while Burkman described the proposal as “tyranny and madness,” according to the Washington Post.
New York Attorney General Letitia James accused the two of making 5,500 robocalls to New York residents earlier this year.
