(LibertyInsider.org) – A political consultant with strong ties to the Democratic Party is facing millions of dollars in fines and multiple charges for his alleged role in a robocall scheme aimed at discouraging participation in New Hampshire’s primary election. Steve Kramer is accused of using AI to spoof President Joe Biden’s voice in a recording that told constituents to stay home and save their votes for November instead.
According to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Forfeiture Notice, the message also accused Republicans of trying to meddle by encouraging Democrats to vote and called the strategy a “bunch of malarkey.” It then went on to misleadingly claim that voting would backfire by helping to re-elect Donald Trump.
Political consultant allegedly behind fake Biden robocall indicted https://t.co/YFF3lDR3dz
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 24, 2024
Kramer orchestrated the scheme, but he wasn’t working alone. The consultant reportedly hired Paul Carpenter, a magician from New Orleans who holds a world record for consecutive straight jacket escapes, to create the AI-generated recording. In an interview with CNN, Carpenter said he was paid $150 via Venmo for the job.
Kramer hired Voice Broadcasting Corp. and Life Co., a Texas telemarketing company, to disseminate the calls to at least 5,000 registered Democrats living in New Hampshire. Local service provider Lingo Telecom accidentally contributed by mistakenly labeling the calls as highly authenticated, which made the spoofing more difficult to detect.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News last February, Kramer fully admitted he was responsible for the robocalls and called them an intentional act of civil disobedience. The consultant, who ironically holds serious misgivings about how AI and deepfake tech stand to influence politics, hoped lawmakers would respond with stricter legislation.
It isn’t yet clear when or how Kramer might get his wish, but at least one government agency is giving him plenty of attention. On May 26, the FCC officially indicted him on a whopping 26 charges, including fraud and election interference. He also faces nearly $6 million in fines.
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