2 Right-Wing Operatives To Face Trial In Voter Suppression Case

DETROIT — Two right-wing political operatives accused of making voter suppression robocalls will stand trial after their appeal to have the case against them thrown out was denied by the Michigan Court of Appeals Thursday.

The two men — 54-year-old Jack Burkman and 22-year-old Jacob Wohl — are charged with intimidating voters, conspiracy to commit an election law violation, using a computer to commit a crime of election law and using a computer to commit the crime of conspiracy.

A trial date in the case has yet to be scheduled. If convicted, the maximum amount of prison time each of the accused could receive under the law is 12 years, due to Michigan's concurrent sentencing statutes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said previously.

“I applaud the Court of Appeals decision and my office stands ready to proceed with this case,” Nessel said. “We remain committed to defending democracy against misinformation spread in an attempt to undermine our free and fair elections.”

Related: 2 Political Operatives Accused Of Michigan Voter Suppression Bid

Both Burkman and Wohl are considered conspiracy theorists with online followings.

They were charged late last year in Wayne County after Nessel's office accused them of orchestrating a scheme in which they intimidating minority voters in Detroit and other cities through a robocall meant to suppress turnout in the Nov. 2020 election.

The pair turned themselves into law enforcement and were subsequently arraigned on charges in October before being bound over for trial in Wayne County Circuit Court.

Shortly before being sent to the higher court, the two men were ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to make a new robocall that was distributed to people saying:

"At the direction of a United States district court, this call is intended to inform you that a federal court has found that the message you previously received regarding mail-in voting from Project 1599, a political organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl, contained false information that has had the effect of intimidating voters, and thus interfering with the upcoming presidential election, in violation of federal voting-rights laws."

Once bound over, Burkman and Wohl filed a motion to have their case dismissed. However, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Margaret VanHouten on Feb. 23 denied that motion.

An appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals was filed on March 16, which was denied Thursday.