October.19.2020
An Orrick pro bono team, collaborating with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, has filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York seeking a federal court order blocking a robocall campaign designed to purposefully disenfranchise Black voters in the 2020 general election.
The lawsuit argues that two U.S. citizens engaged in a coordinated and calculated effort to intimidate Black voters, and violated the Voting Rights Act and Ku Klux Klan Act by directly interfering with the voters’ rights in the general election, which is illegal. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of registered voters who were targeted in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants’ actions are racially motivated, given the contents of their phone calls and their targeting of communities with large Black populations. The case seeks immediate relief from the court to prohibit the defendants from engaging in additional voter intimidation robocalls before the election.
“We believe it is our responsibility as lawyers to put a stop to this flagrant attempt at racially motivated voter suppression on the eve of a presidential election,” said Orrick partner Amy Walsh. “We are confident the court will halt this ugly campaign of lies and disinformation, which is clearly aimed at dissuading minority populations in many states from exercising their right to vote.”
In addition to Amy, the Orrick team on the matter includes Pro Bono Counsel Rene Kathawala and associates Rachelle Navarro, Julie Gorchkova, Spencer Bruck, Aaron Gold and Michael Maruca.