Far right conspiracy theorists Jacob Wohl, 22, and Jack Burkman, 54, have bail set at $100,000 after 'intimidating voters with robocalls that falsely warned of arrest, debt collection or forced vaccination if they vote by mail'
A judge on Thursday set bond at $100,000 for two conservative political activists who are accused of using false robocalls to dissuade black residents in Detroit and other Democratic-leaning U.S. cities from voting by mail.
The magistrate entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of Jack Burkman, 54, of Arlington, Virginia, and Jacob Wohl, 22, of Los Angeles who were were arraigned in Detroit, Michigan.
Residents in majority-black Detroit and cities in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois received calls telling them that if they vote by mail in the November 3 election they could be subjected to arrest, debt collection and forced vaccination, investigators said.
In total, at least 85,000 calls were believed to have been made across the nation. The men have a history of staging hoaxes and spreading false smears against prominent Democrats and government officials.
The charges carry the potential for years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines upon conviction. The computer charges carry up to seven years apiece while election law violations could bring up to five in all.
In this screen grab from video provided by the 36th District Court in Detroit, Jacob Wohl, left, and Jack Burkman are seen during an arraignment being conducted over Zoom on Thursday
Jacob Wohl (pictured left with Trumo), 22, and Jack Burkman , 54, each face four felony counts in Detroit, including conspiring to intimidate voters in violation of election law and using a computer to commit crimes
The men didn't speak during a brief court hearing that was held by video conference Thursday. But their attorneys sparred with a state prosecutor over a request for $1 million cash bond.
'Is this a CSC 1?' asked Scott Grabel, the lawyer for Burkman, using shorthand for a sexual assault charge. 'It involves a 20-second call that involved no threats. It did not deter any voting.'
Grabel said the charges were an 'absolute atrocity' and a 'publicity stunt' by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat.
'The chance of conviction here, in my opinion, is zero, absolutely zero. It's involving a robocall, which is protected speech,' Grabel said.
The robocalls falsely claimed that voting by mail would put voters into a database that would later ‘be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debt’ and force voters to ‘get mandatory vaccines', officials said.
The voice on the robocall in question is alleged to have identified itself as part of ‘a civil rights organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl.’
‘Don't be finessed into giving your private information to the man,’ the caller said. ‘Beware of vote by mail.’
The charges against Burkman and Wohl include conspiring to intimidate voters and using a computer to commit crimes.
An estimated 85,000 robocalls were made nationwide, according to the attorney general's office.
Assistant Attorney General Richard Cunningham asked for a $1 million bond, saying it would protect the public from efforts to discourage voting, 'one of the fundamental rights we have.'
Wohl and Burkman have a history of supporting President Donald Trump and attacking his political opponents, often attempting to pain them as rapists, criminals or deviants – even frequently using hired actors who were unaware that they were being used for political stunts
Wohl has been banned from most social networks, including Twitter and Instagram, for operating fake accounts and peddling misinformation.
Along with Burkman, the pair have made a name for themselves for orchestrating political dirty tricks and hoaxes on President Donald Trump's political opponents.
The stunts often attempt to paint their designated targets as rapists, criminals or deviants – even frequently using hired actors who were unaware that they were being used for political stunts.
Such failed schemes have targeted the likes of vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, former special counsel Robert Mueller and Elizabeth Warren, each with elaborate conspiracy theories which were all discredited almost as quickly as they arose.
Just last month, the Washington Post said that it was duped into falsely reporting that FBI agents had conducted a raid at Burkman’s home in Arlington, Virginia, when it was actually a staged event featuring actors.
This isn't the first time the two have come under scrutiny in Michigan.
Last year, a Michigan college student said the duo recruited him to falsely claim he was raped by Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and then published the smear without the student's permission.