Revealed: Convicted MAGA fraudsters used fake identities with secretive AI startup

02 September 2024

In 2022, far-right MAGA partners Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl pleaded guilty to a felony charge of telecommunications fraud stemming from a racist 2020 robocall designed to suppress Black voters. And the following year, they were fined more than $5 million by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the scheme.

Now, according to Politico's Daniel Lippman, the two are "covertly" operating a Washington, D.C startup called LobbyMatic — which has been "pitched as a service to integrate AI into lobbying."

"In his role as a founder and CEO of the new firm," Lippman explains in an article published on Labor Day 2024, "Wohl uses the name 'Jay Klein,' according to the former employees and e-mails obtained by Politico. Burkman uses the pseudonym 'Bill Sanders,' the former employees said. LobbyMatic, whose website does not list any company leadership, temporarily signed up at least three brand-name clients: Toyota, consulting firm Boundary Stone Partners and drug company Lantheus, according to two of the former employees."

Lippman continues, "Running their new firm under pseudonyms appears to be the latest instance of shady behavior by a pair of convicted fraudsters who've become infamous in Washington for various schemes. Now, they are seizing on public exuberance around the promise of AI to transform the workplace — in this case, on K Street."

According to the Politico reporter, two ex-LobbyMatic employees "resigned after learning of Klein and Sanders' true identities." And two others "learned only after they had left the company," Lippman notes.

One of those ex-employees told Politico, "Jay/Jacob was out of touch with reality. Working for them, you knew you were never getting the full story and were often left trying to find the truth. If I had to sum up my work experience for them, I would describe them as living with their head in the clouds and in a false reality."

The former LobbyMatic employees, according to Lippman, told Politico "that they…. viewed pictures and videos of Wohl and Burkman online to verify their true identities."

"The former employees were granted anonymity to avoid professional repercussions for being associated with the firm and because they were worried about retaliation from Wohl and Burkman," Lippman reports. "Wohl did not respond to a request for comment. When Politico called a phone number Burkman listed on lobbying forms and asked if he was 'Bill Sanders,' he asked who was calling and then said, 'How can I help you?' After a reporter identified himself, Burkman ended the call."

Read Politico's full report at this link.

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