John Burkman and Jacob Wohl have entered no contest pleas in a Michigan voter intimidation case, according to an announcement from Attorney General Dana Nessel. The pair faced charges stemming from a series of deceptive robocalls designed to discourage minority voters in Detroit from participating in the 2020 general election. Both men pled to multiple felonies, including intimidating voters and conspiracy to commit an election law violation.
Burkman, 59, and Wohl, 27, originally caught the attention of authorities for their robocall campaign, which targeted around 12,000 Detroit residents. The calls spread misinformation claiming that mail-in voting would lead to personal data being shared with police and credit card companies and that the CDC would use voting records to enforce mandatory vaccines. Nessel has condemned the robocalls as a "deceptive and racially targeted suppression scheme," as reported by the Attorney General's Office. As part of their plea, Burkman and Wohl acknowledged their roles behind the calls and a supposed civil rights organization named "Project 1599."
After formal charges were laid in 2020, the accused were bound over for trial but attempted to quash the charges in the circuit court. The court denied their motion, and subsequent appeals to the Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court were unsuccessful. The Supreme Court definitively upheld the charges, and following an appeal, the Court of Appeals ruled that their actions would not be protected by free speech.
Burkman and Wohl’s legal case has dragged on, with both men appealing to Michigan’s Court of Appeals and Supreme Court in hopes of getting the charges dropped. However, the courts consistently ruled that their actions clearly violated election laws. Their final decision to plead no contest marks the end of their efforts to fight the charges. Nessel said the state will "continue to pursue and prosecute voter intimidation, no matter how long it takes," as mentioned by the Attorney General's Office. The sentencing for the two men is scheduled for December 1 before Judge Margaret VanHouten in Wayne County's 3rd Circuit Court.
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