2 men who targeted Black voters in Northeast Ohio with robocalls could face $5.1 mil in fines

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday proposed a more than $5.1 million fine against two men for making 1,141 robocalls to wireless phones in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

This is the largest robocall fine ever proposed by the commission, according to an FCC media release.

The FCC says John M. Burkman, 54, Jacob Alexander Wohl, 22, and J.M. Burkman & Associates LLC violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act when they made robocalls in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election telling potential voters that, if they voted by mail, their “personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants and be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debts.” 

The proposed fines are not final commission actions, the release said. Burkman and Wohl will be given the opportunity to defend themselves before the commission…