A political consultant, who confessed to planning a deceptive robocall that impersonated President Biden before the Democratic primary in New Hampshire earlier this year, now faces 26 charges in the state and has been fined $6 million by the Federal Communications Commission.
The New Hampshire attorney general made an announcement on Thursday, revealing that Steve Kramer has been indicted on 13 felony counts of voter suppression and bribery, as well as 13 counts of impersonation of a candidate across various state jurisdictions. Additionally, Kramer has been fined $6 million by the FCC for his involvement in illegal robocalls.
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CBS News has obtained a recording of the call where a voice resembling Mr. Biden’s advises Democratic voters in the Granite State to safeguard their vote for the upcoming November general election and to remain at home.
“By voting this Tuesday, you are inadvertently supporting the Republican party’s efforts to re-elect Donald Trump,” the voice warns. “Instead, it is crucial to understand that your vote holds significant weight in shaping the outcome of the November elections, not merely on this specific Tuesday.”
In an unprecedented event, the 2020 U.S. election witnessed the convergence of “deepfake” technology. Recently, U.S. intelligence agencies issued a warning about the potential dangers of generative AI leading up to the November election, as revealed in a bulletin obtained by CBS News.
Kramer stands accused of masterminding the robocall. During an interview with CBS New York, Kramer revealed his motive behind the call, expressing the importance of implementing federal and state regulations regarding the utilization of artificial intelligence in the political realm. He further disclosed that he had invested $500 in fabricating the imitation Biden voice. According to Kramer, approximately 5,000 individuals received the call.
Steve Kramer, in an interview with CBS New York, expressed his motives behind his anonymous actions. He clarified that his intention was not to gain fame but rather to make a significant impact. By providing $5 million worth of exposure, he aimed to allow the regulations to unfold and bring about the desired change.
CBS News has contacted Kramer for a comment regarding the indictment.
In early February, following the call, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously issued a ruling that declared AI-generated voices in robocalls to be illegal. Furthermore, the FCC imposed a $2 million fine on Lingo Telecom, the telecom company responsible for originating the alleged calls made to Kramer, for evidently violating the FCC’s caller ID authentication rules.
During an interview with NBC News, a New Orleans magician claimed responsibility for creating the robocall. Additional investigations conducted by the network revealed that the call was created in less than 20 minutes and cost only $1 to produce.
New Hampshire’s Attorney General, John Formella, expressed his hope that the recent indictments would serve as a powerful deterrent to anyone contemplating election interference, be it through artificial intelligence or any other means.
In January, a spokesperson for Congressman Dean Phillips, who was challenging Mr. Biden for the Democratic nomination and primarily campaigned in New Hampshire, clarified that the campaign had no association with the robocall. Following an NBC report that highlighted Kramer’s involvement in helping the Phillips campaign with ballot access, a spokesperson emphasized that Kramer created the call “on his own accord” and unequivocally condemned his actions.
“This case serves as a warning sign for what lies ahead,” Phillips expressed in a statement to CBS News on Thursday evening. He emphasized the urgency for Congress to take immediate action in regulating the potential misuse of artificial intelligence, stating, “We need to proactively control the detrimental impact of artificial intelligence before it gains control over us.”
