US political consultant $6 million for fake Joe Biden ‘robocall’ to sway voters
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed a $6 million fine on political consultant Steven Kramer for sending ‘fake robocalls’ that used an AI-generated voice mimicking President Joe Biden, urging New Hampshire voters not to vote in the state’s Democratic primary.
Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race on July 21 and endorsed Kamala Harris. Harris, who selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, is now running against former President Donald Trump and JD Vance, Ohio Senator.
Between January 23 and June 8, 2024, the Democratic Party held its presidential primaries and caucuses to choose delegates for the 2024 Democratic National Convention. These delegates will decide the party’s nominee for the 2024 US presidential election.
Kramer, a 54-year-old Louisiana-based Democratic consultant from New Orleans, was indicted in May on charges of felony voter suppression and misdemeanour impersonation of a candidate, according to the Department of Justice in New Hampshire.
He had worked for Representative Dean Phillips, a primary challenger to Biden, though Phillips publicly denounced the robocalls, according to Reuters.
The investigation was launched on January 22, 2024, after reports surfaced of thousands of New Hampshire residents receiving a robocall urging them to “save [their] vote for the November election”, falsely suggesting that voting in November mattered more than in the primary.
In January, Kramer admitted to paying $500 for the robocalls, stating his intent was to raise awareness about the dangers of artificial intelligence in political campaigns. The FCC’s investigation found that the robocalls used deepfake technology to replicate Biden’s voice, violating FCC rules prohibiting inaccurate caller ID information.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel highlighted the growing risks of AI misuse in elections. “It is now cheap and easy to use Artificial Intelligence to clone voices and flood us with fake sounds and images,” she said. “By unlawfully appropriating the likeness of someone we know, this technology can illegally interfere with elections. We need to call it out when we see it and use every tool at our disposal to stop this fraud.”
Kramer has 30 days to pay the fine, or the case will be referred to the Justice Department for collection. Attempts to reach Kramer for comment were unsuccessful.
In a related case, telecommunications company Lingo Telecom agreed to pay a $1 million fine in August for transmitting the same fake robocalls. The company has since implemented a compliance plan to adhere to FCC caller ID rules.
The FCC is also exploring further measures to combat AI misuse in political campaigns. In July, the commission proposed a rule requiring political advertisements on radio and television to disclose if AI was used in creating the content. This proposal is still under review.
