CONCORD, N.H. – Officials have traced the source of fake robocalls pretending to be President Biden to two Texas companies, the New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella announced yesterday. The robocalls, which discouraged voting ahead of the New Hampshire primary, have been linked to Life Corporation and its owner Walter Monk, and Lingo Telecom, according to CBS News Boston. The calls were made on January 21, only two days before the primary, which took place on January 23.
No charges have yet been filed against Monk or the companies, however, a criminal investigation is in full swing. Both firms have received cease and desist orders—Life Corporation from the state and Lingo Telecom from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as per Formella's statement. Additionally, document preservation notices and subpoenas have been sent out in the ongoing probe. The calls, estimated to be between 5,000 and 25,000 in number, included a message falsely claiming to be Biden and advised recipients that, "Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday."
The Attorney General emphasized the importance of integrity in the electoral process, asserting that public confidence in voting is crucial. "Ensuring public confidence in the electoral process is vital. In law enforcement I can say it's one of our highest priorities," Formella stated, as reported by CBS News Boston. He stressed the unified bipartisan efforts of law enforcement across the country to combat election interference.
According to an article by masslive.com, the investigation utilized "tracebacks" performed by a third-party company which pinned down Monk and Life Corp. The tracebacks also pulled Lingo Telecom into the spotlight as the voice service provider for many of the illegal calls. This company, characterized by TechCrunch as "shady," reportedly has a checkered past with nearly ten different business names and a history of illegal call operations dating back to 2003. After being notified of the investigation, Lingo Telecom promptly cut ties and suspended services to Life Corporation, Formella noted.
The motivation behind these fraudulent calls remains unclear, and Formella's office has yet to provide further details on Monk, Life Corp, or their alleged intentions. While the full scope of individuals or entities involved is still under investigation, the New Hampshire Attorney General's stern warning to any would-be imitators stands: "The consequences to your action will be severe," effectively cautioning against any future attempts to undermine election processes.
