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Who are Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman? Controversial past of Michigan conservatives charged for false robocalls

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel declared the charges, which include intimidating voters and conspiracy to violate election law

On October 1, two conservative operatives Jacob Wohl, 22, and Jack Burkman, 54, were charged with allegedly using robocalls to discourage voters in the upcoming general election.

As reported by Politico, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel declared the charges, which include intimidating voters and conspiracy to violate election law. According to a news release, “Burkman, an Arlington, Virginia resident, and Wohl, a Los Angeles, California resident, allegedly attempted to discourage voters from participating in the general election by creating and funding a robocall targeted at certain urban areas, including Detroit. The calls were made in late August and went out to nearly 12,000 residents with phone numbers from the 313 area code.”

The release further states that Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had issued a statement in August after news of the robocall surfaced.  “I have zero tolerance for anyone who would seek to deceive citizens about their right to vote,” Benson said. “I am grateful to the Attorney General for her swift and thorough investigation, putting anyone else who would seek to undermine citizens’ fundamental rights on notice that we will use every tool at our disposal to dispel false rhetoric and seek justice on behalf of every voter who is targeted and harmed by any attempt to suppress their vote.”

As per the release, the recorded robocall message cautions people about being “finessed into giving your private information to the man” and urges them to “beware of vote-by-mail.” It further alleges that the caller, who claims to be connected with an organization founded by Burkman and Wohl, falsely informs people that “mail-in voting, in particular, will allow personal information to become part of a special database used by police to track down old warrants and by credit card companies to collect outstanding debts. The caller also deceptively claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will use the information to track people for mandatory vaccines”. However, none of that is true. There were similar robocalls that were also reported in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois, according to the release.

Who are Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman?

According to Associated Press (AP), Wohl and Burkman have a history of supporting President Donald Trump and targeting his political opponents.  As per the report, the duo is infamous for allegedly orchestrating political tricks and hoaxes, which includes spreading false allegations of sexual misconduct by Robert Mueller and Pete Buttigieg. Last month, the Washington Post had reported that they were duped into reporting about a fake raid at Burkman’s home in Arlington, Virginia by FBI when in reality it was a staged event featuring actors, reports AP.

In August, Wohl told AP that they suspected “leftist pranksters” were behind the robocalls because recipients were shown a caller ID that was Burkman’s mobile number. Burkman called the situation “a joke,” suggesting that nobody would use their mobile number for a robocall and threatened to sue Benson for defamation. However, this isn’t their first time coming under scrutiny in Michigan. This isn’t the first time the two have come under scrutiny in Michigan. Last year, as per the report, a Michigan college student had alleged that the duo recruited him to falsely claim that he was raped by Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and then published the slander without the student’s permission. 

Twitter says

After the recent news, Twitter also weighed in on the allegations. A user said, “To be an activist you have to stand for something. To be an operative, you have to be able to operate. These terms do not fit Jacob Wohl. This kid is a wohl mess. A wohl lotta trouble.” Another said, “Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman were just arrested and charged with 4 felony counts each for allegedly running illegal voter suppression robocalls in Michigan. I hope both these guys rot in prison for 25 years. Conservatives cheating also?” One said, “Once again Wohl, faces charges, will this be the time he actually goes to prison? Jack Burkman, Jacob Wohl Charged in Alleged Voter Suppression Scheme #SmartNews” A user said, “Ah, Jacob Wohl strikes again! Hey @realDonaldTrump, what was that about voter fraud?”

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