The calls were impersonating Biden.
The League of Women Voters has taken a decisive stance against the perpetrators behind a deepfake robocall impersonating President Joe Biden, urging voters in New Hampshire to abstain from participating in the state’s presidential primary. This legal action, brought forth in federal district court in Concord, targets Democratic operative Steve Kramer and two telecom companies, Lingo Telecom and Life Corporation, on behalf of three affected New Hampshire voters. The organization staunchly opposes such voter suppression tactics, affirming its unwavering dedication to protecting democratic processes.
Although Kramer confessed to orchestrating the calls, he asserted his motive was to raise awareness about the potential dangers of AI deepfakes rather than to deceive recipients. However, the lawsuit alleges breaches of federal and state laws aimed at shielding voters from intimidation and misleading robocall schemes. Despite Kramer’s acknowledgment, his spokesperson refrained from commenting on the lawsuit, citing lack of official notification.
Concurrently, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office and other law enforcement entities are delving into potential criminal infractions, with a focus on telemarketing firms Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom as the conduits for disseminating the calls. Meanwhile, Paul Carpenter, the individual tasked with crafting the deepfake audio, maintains his innocence and is cooperating with legal proceedings, as per his legal representative.
Mark Herring, a former Virginia attorney general representing the League of Women Voters, underscored the lawsuit’s significance in deterring future exploitation of AI technology for voter suppression purposes. This legal endeavor marks a pivotal stride in addressing the burgeoning challenges posed by sophisticated technology to the integrity of electoral processes. The lawsuit underscores alleged violations of federal and state laws designed to shield voters from coercion and deceptive practices associated with robocalls. Notably, the calls were engineered to appear as if they originated from the spouse of a former chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, exacerbating their deceitful nature. Despite Kramer’s prior affiliation with Rep. Dean Phillips, the primary challenger to Biden, both parties disavow any involvement in directing the robocalls.
