A former consultant for Rep. Dean Phillips’s (D-MN) 2024 campaign revealed himself to be behind a controversial robocall that used an impersonation of President Joe Biden to discourage New Hampshire Democrats from voting for the incumbent in the state’s primary.
Steve Kramer, who was hired to help with ballot access in New York and Pennsylvania, confirmed to NBC News that he sent automated calls to 5,000 likely Democratic voters in New Hampshire two days before primary there. Kramer was able to recreate Biden’s voice using artificial intelligence with the help of a magician named Paul Carpenter.
“With a mere $500 investment, anyone could replicate my intentional call,” Kramer told the outlet. “Immediate action is needed across all regulatory bodies and platforms.”
The campaign confirmed to the Washington Examiner that Kramer is no longer working for them. According to campaign finance reports, Kramer earned over $250,000 around the time he sent the robocall.
“What a bunch of malarkey. We know the value of voting when our votes count. It’s important that you save your vote for the November election,” the AI-generated voice said. “Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Phillips’s campaign claimed it hired Kramer “reluctantly to overcome the absurd and artificial barriers to entry put in place to get on ballots in those states.”
“The fundamental notion of our campaign is the importance of competition, choice, and democracy,” the campaign said. “We are disgusted to learn that Mr. Kramer is behind this call, and we absolutely denounce his actions.”
Following the controversy, the Federal Communications Commission ruled unanimously that using AI to generate voices in a robocall is considered illegal. It has yet to announce a penalty against Kramer.
“While I don’t know the person, such behavior is despicable and I trust will be investigated by authorities,” Phillips wrote on X Friday. On Sunday, he followed up with the report by saying “Glad he fessed-up.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“America should already have AI guardrails in place to prevent its nefarious use,” Phillips wrote. “The next generation of executive leadership must better anticipate and prepare for the future.”
Previously the FCC enforced its fine of $5,134,500 against controversial conservative activists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman for a similar voter suppression scam. The two targeted black voters in several states and falsely claimed that their “personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants and be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debts,” per the FCC filing.
