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National Coalition on Black Civic Participation v. Wohl
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National Coalition on Black Civic Participation v. Wohl

Federal case finding 2020 robocalls broke the Voting Rights Act intimidation clause.

Last refreshed: 27 October 2026

Timeline for National Coalition on Black Civic Participation v. Wohl

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Background

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation v. Wohl, No. 20 Civ. 8668 in the Southern District of New York, is a leading case on Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, the clause that bars intimidating voters. On 8 March 2023 Judge Victor Marrero granted summary judgment on liability against Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman and their firms, finding that a summer 2020 robocall sent to about 85,000 numbers, warning that mail voting would expose voters to police, debt collectors and vaccine tracking, broke Section 11(b) and the Ku Klux Klan Act. New York's attorney general had joined the suit.

It is the precedent behind the Section 11(b) claim in DSCC v. Trump, although that suit targets federal officials rather than private operatives.

Common Questions
What did the court decide in NCBCP v. Wohl?
On 8 March 2023 Judge Victor Marrero ruled that Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman broke Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act with a 2020 robocall that tried to scare voters off mail voting.Source: SDNY Decision and Order, 20 Civ. 8668, 8 March 2023
What did the Wohl and Burkman robocall say?
It warned that voting by mail would put voters' details into a database used by police to chase old warrants, by credit card firms to collect debts and by the CDC to track people for vaccines. It reached about 85,000 numbers.Source: SDNY Decision and Order, 20 Civ. 8668, 8 March 2023
Why is NCBCP v. Wohl cited in DSCC v. Trump?
Both rest on Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which bars intimidating voters. Wohl applied it to private operatives; DSCC v. Trump asks a court to apply it to federal officials.Source: Lowdown
Source Material
New York National Robocall Voter Intimidation ChallengeNCBCP v. Wohl, Decision and Order, 8 March 2023

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 27 October 2026. Editorial standards.