More New Hampshire Dirty Tricks Via Telephone

[Vinca]

This afternoon I got an email from a local candidate/organizer. Apparently the Charlie Bass bid for another term in Congress is going south pretty fast and the RNCC has begun making autocalls filled with lies about his Democratic opponent, Mr. Hodes. Someone's already filed a complaint with the NH Attorney General. Here's the relevant part of the email -

"GOP CALLS DEMOCRATS TO SUPPRESS VOTING. When you call Democrats they might have comments about this.

ACTION ITEM: Desperate Bass Resorts to 11th Hour Illegal Robocalls

The New Hampshire Democratic Party has received numerous reports today from residents across the district who say that they have been receiving repeated misleading recorded auto-calls from the National Republican Congressional Committee that start off sounding as if they are from the Paul Hodes for Congress campaign, but are actually misleading attacks against Paul Hodes. The Party is asking Congressman Charlie Bass to demand these negative, illegal automated calls be stopped immediately.

"Charlie Bass must stop these negative, illegal auto-calls
immediately," said Nick Clemons, Executive Director of New Hampshire Democratic Party. "If he can't stand up to his Party on illegal phone calls in his district, he can't stand up to them on anything."

The Party has received confirmation these calls are going to individuals on the "Do Not Call" list from Martha Child, a registered Independent from Hillsborough, who, after receiving five calls in two days, filed a complaint with the New Hampshire Attorney General's office this morning. The Attorney General's office is investigating the report. Delivering an automated phone call to a person on the Federal Do Not Call list is a violation of NH RSA 664:14-III, and according to NH RSA 664:14-IVa each violation shall result in a $5,000 penalty."

[Infinite Hope]

1. K&R...Fine the h*ll out of them! n/t

[Justice]

2. My NH based parents were getting calls from a strange number

I passed this info along to NH Democratic party.

I heard the same was happening in CT and PA.

[Tesha]

3. The numbers we're getting the calls from are...

The numbers we're getting the calls from are 603-000-000,
000-000-0000, and good old "Unavailable".

I'd say the PBX from which they're making the calls is deliberately
misprogrammed to send bogs CallerID information.

And, yes, we're on the Federal "Do Not Call" list.

Tesha

[Redneck Socialist]

4. Do Not Call doesn't block political calls

I don't believe.

Underhanded and sleazy for sure, but why are these illegal?

[Tab]

5. My understanding is

that charity organizations are exempt from do-not-call restrictions.

Since "charity" = "not for profit", a non-profit political organization can be exempt.

That's not to say that automated calls are legal. I'm not sure about that. They are annoying as hell, I'll tell you that. There may be a separate law about them.

While commercial messages are not to be telephoned to homes, charity fund-raising calls and political polling or fund-raising solicitations are allowed. That is a form of government censorship of commercial messages, the Denver judge declared in a ruling that not only jeopardized the national list, but could threaten similar do-not-call mandates in Massachusetts and more than 30 other states.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2003/09/30/do_not_call_list_active_tomorrow/

But DNC in and of itself won't protect you from political calls, to my understanding.

Thanks, of course, to Our Great Leader.

[Justice]

6. There is an issue with automated, and also calls that don't identify

caller organization in first few minutes.

[Red Knight]

7. The same thing is happening for Gerlach/Murphy

In Pennsylvania---Gerlach is pulling the same shit.

There have been complaints filed.

They will stop at nothing.

[Justice]

8. more news today in Globe

RNC admits making calls, admits may violate NH law b/c automated and says, don't care.