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Rauner campaign sued over robocalls

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Illinois

* Cook County Record…

An Illinois man has brought a class action lawsuit against Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign committee, alleging the committee violated federal telephone consumer protection law by making “pernicious” and unsolicited robocalls to state residents’ cellular phones, urging them to vote for Rauner.

Peter Garvey filed suit March 23 in Cook County Circuit Court against Citizens for Rauner Inc., alleging the organization breached the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act. […]

The TCPA law prohibits unsolicited, automated and prerecorded phone calls. However, Garvey alleges that is exactly what Rauner’s campaign has been doing since last year, in a “misguided effort to solicit support” for Rauner’s candidacy. Garvey said he received such calls on his wireless phone. […]

Garvey said he believes there are “hundreds or likely thousands” of people who were recipients of such calls, and Rauner’s committee should pay each person a minimum of $1,500 per call.

I haven’t received any robocalls on my mobile phone. Did you get any?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:33 pm

Comments

Yes. I had my Landline converted to cellular.

Comment by Al Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:37 pm
No robocalls, but I received quite a few personal text messages, especially form Biss volunteers.

Comment by chito Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:40 pm
I can’t say that I’ve received robocalls on my cell phone but I’ve noticed that the solicitations that were once confined to my land line have now crept over to my cell phone so a robocall wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit. Which is also why I never answer my cell phone (or land line) if I don’t recognize the number even when the caller is very clever and attempts to spoof my own number.

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:40 pm
Not political ones, but if this guy ever gave his cell number to the Rauner campaign, you could argue he opted-in to automated mobile calls, which are allowed if you opt-in.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:40 pm
I don’t answer calls from numbers I don’t recognize.

Comment by Retired Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:40 pm
Not this cycle, but in 2016 primary I did.

Comment by Anonish Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:40 pm
I got several unsolicited, possibly robo, texts from Biss campaign.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:41 pm
Sorry, that was me at 12:41

Comment by SAP Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:42 pm
I am pretty sure the federal law doesn’t apply to political or chartible calls, unfortunately.

Comment by A Jack Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:46 pm
Yes, several times on my landline (including the sirens robocalls)

Comment by Just moi Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 12:54 pm
It is illegal: https://www.fcc.gov/political-campaign-robocalls

Comment by Lakeview lawyer Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:03 pm
A Jack, that’s correct for the Do Not Call registry but not TCPA. TCPA prohibits political robocalls to cell phones, land lines are allowed though, and the FCC warns political campaigns every year about this. The Trump campaign was sued for the same thing.

Comment by TopHatMonocle Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:04 pm
No, nor did I here of that happening to anyone else in my area.

Comment by Liandro Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:05 pm
I got the durbin one for mm on my cell

Comment by Yup Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:09 pm
No, but my wife got those Biss texts.

Comment by Northsider Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:35 pm
Thanks, TopHat Monocole, I didn’t know the distinction for cell phones and unsolicited political calls. Now if they would just expand that to landlines and the internet….

Comment by A Jack Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:39 pm
If that’s the number provided to the Election Commission when registering, you likely did. You don’t have to provide a number at all. When the big registration drives occurred, many of those volunteers casually asked for cell numbers.

As landlines disappear among folks under 50, there will be more of these calls. Business cards with cell numbers on them are in databases everywhere now.

I didn’t get any on my cellphone this time around. I give my home # for everything. That’s the phone there used to be a stampede to, that now is never answered.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:03 pm
I got one….

Comment by Outsider Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:03 pm
a recorded voice mail left by a volunteer is not a robo call. toss the suit. it’s trash

Comment by Iggy Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:04 pm
I think I did on the cell. Seem to remember a VM being left. But I can’t swear to it.

Like others, if you aren’t in the 400+ contacts in my phone, I don’t answer.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:07 pm
I got crushed by robo calls for that 10th District GOP primary (all from Shah) and a bunch of automated polls in the Corrigan/Miller state rep race (like every week for the last month). By the way, I haven’t been registered to vote in either district for more than 10 years.

Comment by Amber Ale Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:15 pm
I got a couple of the robos supporting Madigan and Tabares for State Central Committee. Wonder if anyone is filing against the Speaker?

Comment by Spagnost Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:16 pm
I received at least 1 robocall a day from the Corrigan/Miller state rep race on my Cell phone in the weeks leading up to the election. I went to 1 Miller campaign event because it was 1 block from my house but I’m certain I did not giver her my Cell number. I never interacted with Corrigan.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:24 pm
I got robo calls from Rauner, VM’s, which I saved, and text messages which I also saved.

Comment by Gruntled University Employee Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:44 pm
I blew a loud referee whistle in the phone repeatedly and it was not effective except now my ears won’t stop ringing. Can I sue?

Comment by QC Guy Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 4:21 pm
I received two Rauner recorded robocalls on my cellphone on March 18 and 19. In fact, I still have the voicemails. I never opted in to anything with his campaign.
I did not receive any political texts, thank goodness.

Comment by Father Ted Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 4:34 pm
For the Biss text messages, I would guess the campaign used an app called Hustle that skirts FEC rules on robo-texting. A person is sending every single one of those texts individually and replying to people who reply, the system uses a software to fill in names and you can have prerecorded responses to select. You send text messages to 100 people one at a time before going back and responding then sending the next 100 before going back and responding to responses from the first hundred and the next hundred. The company says you can text several thousand people an hour doing this. I’ve done it and you definitely can.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 6:25 pm
Like most I don’t answer numbers I don’t know but I believe I got them on my cell. Landline was hit at least 3 times a day if not more. Dread the next round. Rauner does not win my vote either with his folksy speak or his money spent to convince me Madigan is bad.

Comment by ilinifan Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 6:49 pm