Fake Joe Biden Robocalls Pose 'Extraordinary' Threat: Attorney General

Fake robocalls allegedly featuring the voice of President Joe Biden are cause for "extraordinary" concern heading into the November election, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.

Nessel is one of 50 attorneys general part of a nationwide Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force that has investigated, and even in some cases filed lawsuits, regarding scam robocalls.

In January, many New Hampshire voters received a series of robocalls in the lead-up to the state's January 23 primary election. The calls included a message deemed by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office Election Law Unit to have been AI-generated voice clones of Biden's voice, encouraging people not to vote in the primary.

CNN This Morning anchor Phil Mattingly asked Nessel about the robocalls on Wednesday morning, inquiring how big a threat robocalls are to potential voter suppression in the months ahead.

"I think it's extraordinary. It's immeasurable," Nessel said. "I think we have to crack down on these types of illegal robocalls as quickly as possible."

She said she prosecuted a similar case from the 2020 presidential election involving Biden and Donald Trump that was later appealed. People behind scam calls should receive "significant" legal penalties, she added.

"This is even more dangerous, though, because it purports to come from the candidate himself," Nessel said.

Newsweek reached out to Nessel's office via email for comment.

An investigation into the occurrence last month was initiated by New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, in coordination with state and federal partners such as the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force and the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau.

The source of the calls was identified as Texas-based Life Corporation and an individual named Walter Monk, according to a report published on Tuesday.

The robocalls in New Hampshire included messages that said: "It's important that you save your vote for the November election," as well as: "Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday."

They also "illegally spoofed" caller ID information to mimic a phone number belonging to a former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair, with recipients instructed to call the number to be removed from future calls.

Newsweek reached out to Formella's office via email for comment.

Nessel and the other state attorneys general also warned Life Corporation (Life Corp) and its owner and executives that they "must cease any unlawful call traffic immediately." If they do not, they may be in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Truth in Caller ID Act, and other state consumer protection laws.

"Ensuring public confidence in the electoral process is vital," Formella said in a statement. "AI-generated recordings used to deceive voters have the potential to have devastating effects on the democratic election process.

"The partnership and fast action in this matter sends a clear message that law enforcement, regulatory agencies and industry are staying vigilant and are working closely together to monitor and investigate any signs of AI being used maliciously to threaten our democratic process."

The use of artificial intelligence has already been seen in the 2024 presidential campaign, and within the GOP primary.

In June, Trump's campaign and supporters lashed out at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has since dropped out of the race, following a campaign attack ad that featured images generated by AI.

Last month, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was sued after complaints regarding alleged robocalls in support of his 2024 campaign. He or his campaign team are alleged to have used pre-recorded calls using the Ramaswamy's voice to contact potential voters on their cellular phones without first obtaining their consent.