Steven Kramer, a political consultant, faces a $6 million fine and over two dozen criminal charges for sending AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice to voters ahead of New Hampshire’s presidential primary. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the fine on Thursday, marking its first case involving generative AI technology.
The company accused of transmitting the calls, Lingo Telecom, is facing a $2 million fine. Both parties have the option to settle or negotiate further, the FCC stated.
Steven Kramer admitted to orchestrating the message, which was sent to thousands of voters two days before the January 23 primary. The AI-generated voice, resembling President Joe Biden’s, falsely suggested that voting in the primary would prevent them from voting in November. The message included Biden’s phrase, “What a bunch of malarkey.”
Steven Kramer faces 13 felony charges for violating New Hampshire’s law against voter suppression using misleading information, and 13 misdemeanor charges for falsely representing himself as a candidate. These charges were filed across four counties and will be prosecuted by the state attorney general’s office.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella emphasized the state’s commitment to free and fair elections. “I am pleased to see that our federal partners are similarly committed to protecting consumers and voters from harmful robocalls and voter suppression,” Formella stated.
Lingo Telecom strongly disagrees with the FCC’s action, arguing that it complied with all federal regulations and industry standards. The company claims it was not involved in producing the calls and has cooperated with authorities to identify those responsible.
The robocalls falsely appeared to originate from the personal cellphone number of Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic Party chair who assisted with President Biden’s write-in campaign. Kathy Sullivan expressed hope that the penalties would deter future attempts to interfere with elections.
Steven Kramer, who specializes in get-out-the-vote projects, did not respond to requests for comment. In February, he told The Associated Press that his intent was to highlight the dangers of AI, not to influence the election. He admitted to paying a New Orleans magician $150 to create the recording, describing his actions as a deliberate wake-up call about AI’s potential misuse.
Voter suppression in New Hampshire carries a prison sentence of 3 1/2 to 7 years, while impersonating a candidate is punishable by up to a year in jail. Kramer, scheduled to appear in court on June 5, maintained that his robocalls did not suppress voter turnout, noting that President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate by a wide margin.
The FCC has since taken measures to combat the use of AI in political communications, confirming that AI voice-cloning tools in robocalls are banned under existing law. It has also proposed requiring political advertisers to disclose AI-generated content in broadcast ads.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel described the New Hampshire robocalls as “unnerving,” warning that AI-generated calls could mislead voters by sounding like familiar politicians or celebrities. “It is exactly how the bad actors behind these junk calls with manipulated voices want you to react,” she said.
