Overview
- Wayne County Circuit Judge Margaret VanHouten imposed a one-year probation term under a Cobbs agreement after no-contest pleas to voter intimidation, conspiracy, and computer-crime counts.
- Prosecutors said the late-August 2020 robocalls reached nearly 12,000 Detroit-linked numbers and spread false warnings about arrests, debt collection, and CDC vaccine tracking tied to mail voting.
- Attorney General Dana Nessel condemned the operation in court and said prosecutors will closely monitor for any probation violations.
- The case wound through the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court, resulting in narrowed charges to avoid chilling protected speech before the plea resolution.
- Burkman and Wohl also face consequences elsewhere, including a New York settlement of up to $1.25 million and an Ohio order for 500 hours of voter-registration work.