TPM Muckraker continues to follow the story of the “Economic Freedom Fund” — an organization bankrolled by Bob Perry, the man who bankrolled the smears on John Kerry’s military record. This organization is going to bat for Mike Sodrel by paying for “FreeEats.com Inc.” to robocall Hoosiers with attacks on Baron Hill. By robocall, I mean use computers to dial Hoosier phones and play recorded messages to anyone unfortunate enough to pick up the phone. Trouble is, this practice is illegal.
The General Assembly, recognizing that Hoosiers don’t want to have the phone ringing at all hours only to have a computer play them a recording, adopted IC 24-5-14 which prohibits playing such a recording unless an actual person has obtained the consent of the person picking up the phone before playing the recording. Attorney General Steve Carter, appropriately, took these folks to court to put an end to their law breaking.
On the contrary, however, Sodrel’s supporters apparently feel that the First Amendment protects their God given right to have computers ring your phone and tie up your line playing you recorded messages. So, they’ve gone to federal court asking it to nullify the state law. So much for strict construction and states’ rights, I guess.