Texas Company Was Behind Voter Robocalls That Impersonated Biden, N.H. Says
The New Hampshire attorney general said on Tuesday that his office, alongside federal officials and other state attorneys general, had identified the company behind robocalls last month that used an impersonation of President Biden’s voice to urge Democrats not to vote in the state’s primary.
The attorney general, John M. Formella, said that the calls had originated with Life Corporation, a Texas-based company owned by Walter Monk. Mr. Formella noted that the calls were routed through a provider called Lingo Telecom.
“We will not tolerate any action that seeks to undermine the integrity of our elections and our democratic process,” Mr. Formella said in a news conference. “The message to any person or company who would attempt to engage in these activities is clear and it’s simple: Don’t try it.”
Mr. Monk, Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to a New York Times review of legal and campaign finance records, a subsidiary of Life Corporation called Voice Broadcasting Corp., which identifies Mr. Monk as its founder on its website, has received numerous payments from the Republican Party’s state committee in Delaware, most recently in 2022, as well as payments from congressional candidates in both parties.
Mr. Formella’s office has opened a criminal investigation, sent Life Corporation a cease-and-desist letter, and sent both Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom subpoenas and notices to preserve documents, he said. The letter, a copy of which his office provided to The New York Times, accuses Life Corporation of violating a New Hampshire law that prohibits efforts to “prevent or deter” someone from voting.
The robocalls told New Hampshire residents — using a voice that was most likely generated by artificial intelligence to sound like Mr. Biden’s — that they should not participate in the state’s primary on Jan. 23 because “your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.” Voting in a primary does not prevent anyone from casting a ballot in the general election.
