The League of Women Voters is taking legal action against the creators of a misleading robocall that falsely used President Joe Biden’s voice. This robocall discouraged New Hampshire voters from participating in the state’s presidential primary in January. The lawsuit was filed in a federal district court in Concord, representing three New Hampshire voters who received these deceptive calls. The organization seeks injunctions and significant financial damages from Democratic operative Steve Kramer and two telecommunications companies, Lingo Telecom and Life Corporation, responsible for the call.
The League of Women Voters, a respected nonpartisan group with over a century of history, is standing firm against voter suppression. Celina Stewart, the League’s chief counsel, emphasized that such tactics have no place in our democracy. The League has been dedicated to protecting voters from illegal activities and remains committed to combating those who threaten the democratic process.
Steve Kramer’s spokesperson, Hank Sheinkopf, mentioned that Kramer had not been notified of the lawsuit and declined to comment further. Kramer admitted to commissioning the robocalls but claimed his intention was to highlight the risks of AI-generated deepfakes, not to mislead. This admission followed revelations from an acquaintance paid to create the audio using AI technology.
Kramer had previously been subpoenaed by the Federal Communications Commission, which is moving to ban AI-generated robocalls like the one impersonating Biden. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies, is investigating potential criminal violations and identified Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom as the distributors of the misleading call.
Paul Carpenter, the magician hired by Kramer to produce the audio, insists on his innocence and is cooperating with legal investigations. Mark Herring, representing the League of Women Voters, hopes the lawsuit will deter misuse of AI technology. Herring stressed the importance of holding those accountable who use new technologies to undermine voting rights.
The lawsuit claims the robocalls broke federal and New Hampshire state laws designed to protect voters from intimidation and deception. The calls appeared to come from a significant figure in the New Hampshire Democratic Party, misleading recipients about their origin. Kramer, a seasoned campaign specialist, was working for Biden’s primary opponent, Rep. Dean Phillips, at the time but both deny directing the creation of the calls.
Courtney Hostetler, senior counsel at Free Speech for People, anticipates this lawsuit to be the first of many as technology advances make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between deceptive and legitimate calls. The Federal Trade Commission reported over 175,000 complaints about imposter calls in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, highlighting the growing concern over such deceptive practices.