Concord Monitor – Political consultant behind Biden’s fake robocalls faces $6 million fine on criminal charges

A political consultant who sent artificial intelligence-generated robocalls to voters that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of the New Hampshire presidential primary faces a $6 million fine and more than two dozen criminal charges.

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday’s proposed fine for Steven Kramer is the first to involve generative artificial intelligence technology. The company accused of transmitting the calls, Lingo Telecom, could face a $2 million fine, though in either case the parties could settle or continue negotiations, the FCC said.

Kramer admitted orchestrating the message, which was sent to thousands of voters two days before the nation’s first primary election on Jan. 23. The message broadcast an AI-generated voice similar to that of the Democratic president, who used the phrase “What a bunch of malarkeys” and falsely suggested that voting in the primary election would prevent voters from casting ballots in November.

Kramer faces 13 felony charges accusing him of violating New Hampshire law by trying to discourage someone from voting by using misleading information. He also faces 13 misdemeanor charges accusing him of falsely representing himself as a candidate through his own or another person’s conduct. Charges have been filed in four counties and prosecution will be handled by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General John Formella said New Hampshire made every effort to ensure the election “remained free from unlawful interference.”

“I am pleased to see our federal partners similarly committed to protecting consumers and voters from harmful robocalls and voter suppression,” said Formella, an appointee of Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.

Lingo Telecom said it strongly disagrees with the FCC’s actions, which it called an attempt to impose new rules retroactively.

“Lingo Telecom takes its regulatory responsibilities extremely seriously and has cooperated fully with federal and state agencies to help identify the parties responsible for initiating the robocalling campaign in New Hampshire,” the company said. “Lingo Telecom was in no way involved in the production of these calls and the actions it took were in compliance with all applicable federal regulations and industry standards.”

Kramer, who owns a company that specializes in voting-related projects, did not respond Thursday to an email seeking comment. He told the Associated Press in February that he wasn’t trying to influence the election outcome but rather wanted to send a warning signal about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence by paying a New Orleans magician $150 to create the recording.

“I may be a villain today, but I think in the end we will have a better country and a better democracy because of what I did on purpose,” Kramer said in February.

Vote suppression is punishable by imprisonment from 3.5 to 7 years. Impersonating a candidate is punishable by up to one year in prison.

In an interview days after he was publicly identified as the source of the calls, Kramer said he disagreed with the claim that his robocall lowered voter turnout, noting that Biden won the Democratic primary by a significant margin as the write-in candidate. Kramer, working on ballot access for another former Democratic presidential candidate, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, said he acted alone.

“I fought in college. I’m ready to fight,” said Kramer, who is scheduled to appear in court on June 5. “If they want to throw me in jail, good luck.”

Since New Hampshire’s robocalls, the FCC has taken steps to combat the growing use of artificial intelligence tools in political communications. In February it confirmed that AI voice cloning tools for robocalls are banned under current law, and on Wednesday it unveiled a proposal requiring political advertisers to disclose when they use AI-generated content in broadcast TV and radio ads.

If passed, the new rules would provide a layer of transparency that many lawmakers and AI experts have called for as rapidly developing generative AI tools generate realistic images, videos and audio clips that threaten to mislead voters in the upcoming U.S. elections .

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday that regulators are committed to helping states pursue violators. In a statement, she called New Hampshire’s robocalls “unnerving.”

“Because when the caller sounds like a famous politician, a celebrity you like or a familiar family member, any of us can be tricked into believing something that is not true in calls using artificial intelligence technology,” she said in a statement. statement. “This is exactly how the bad actors behind these junk calls with manipulated voices want you to react.”