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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The FCC adopted a $6 million forfeiture against political consultant Steve Kramer over AI-generated calls that imitated then-President Joe Biden before New Hampshire’s January 2024 Democratic presidential primary. That was a final FCC enforcement action after an earlier proposal—not the same as the separate New Hampshire criminal case, in which a jury acquitted Kramer in 2025. Reporting during that trial said it was unclear whether the FCC forfeiture had been paid or collected.
What the New Hampshire robocall said
Two days before the January 23, 2024 Democratic presidential primary, prerecorded calls used an AI-generated imitation of then-President Joe Biden’s voice. The message urged potential voters to save their vote for November and said their vote mattered in November, not in Tuesday’s primary. It also asserted that voting in the primary would help elect Donald Trump. The calls displayed the phone number of Kathy Sullivan, a prominent New Hampshire political figure, as caller ID without her permission.
A federal court opinion recounts the FCC notice’s finding that Voice Broadcasting had initiated 9,581 calls carrying the message by 7:12 p.m. on January 21, 2024. That is the documented scale of this particular case, not a measure of political robocalls generally. U.S. District Court opinion.
How the FCC penalty changed from proposal to adopted forfeiture
The FCC’s May 2024 notice of apparent liability proposed a $6 million forfeiture against Kramer for alleged violations of the Truth in Caller ID Act and FCC rules. A proposed forfeiture is not the same procedural step as an adopted one. On September 26, 2024, the Commission adopted the $6 million forfeiture. Its release said payment was due within 30 days; otherwise, the matter would be promptly referred to the Department of Justice for collection. FCC May 2024 notice; FCC September 2024 action.
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The FCC separately announced that Lingo Telecom agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty and implement a compliance plan. Lingo’s settlement is distinct from the $6 million forfeiture adopted against Kramer.
In a statement reported by NHPR on September 26, 2024, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said: “Let me be very clear. If you flood our phones with this junk, we will find you and you will pay.” NHPR report.
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What the 2025 state acquittal means—and what it does not
On June 13, 2025, NHPR reported that a Belknap County Superior Court jury acquitted Kramer on all state charges related to the robocalls. That verdict resolved the state criminal case; it was not a federal acquittal and does not establish that the FCC’s separate administrative forfeiture was reversed. NHPR report on the acquittal.
Whether Kramer paid the FCC forfeiture or whether it was collected is not established by the reviewed reporting. The Associated Press said during the 2025 state trial that payment was unclear. That report does not establish the status today. Associated Press reporting.
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