Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s campaign disclosures reveal a $7,500 payout to an Illinois man who sued the campaign for allegedly violating laws against robocalling.
In October 2022, Illinois resident Jorge Rojas filed a 13-page lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi’s campaign and Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue for allegedly violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. (RELATED: Nancy Pelosi To Step Down As House Democrat Leader)
Less than an hour after the repealing of Roe V. Wade Nancy Pelosi uses it to ask for more donations. (2022) pic.twitter.com/0ZcytQq0VS
— crazy ass moments in american politics (@ampol_moment) June 24, 2022
Rojas initially sought $31,500 in damages, including $1,500 per text, Business Insider reported. He moved to dismiss the lawsuit in February 2022, after he received a $7,500 settlement payment from Pelosi’s campaign, newly released campaign filings show.
“As relevant here, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, known as the ‘TCPA,’ generally prohibits robocalls to cell phones and home phones,” the lawsuit reads. “This case involves a campaign by Defendants which placed illegal, campaign-related prerecorded and automated texts to Plaintiff’s telephone number, which were not consented to.”
Pelosi’s campaign sent Rojas 21 texts asking for money from November 2021 to July 2022, despite his placement on the Do Not Call Registry in order to avoid telemarketing calls, the lawsuit says. The texts included a fundraising appeal Pelosi’s team sent immediately after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in the June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision.
“As a result of the foregoing, Plaintiff experienced frustration, annoyance, irritation and a sense that his privacy has been invaded by Defendants,” the lawsuit continues. “Defendants’ acts as described above were done with malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, wanton and negligent disregard for Plaintiff’s rights under the law and with the purpose of harassing Plaintiff.”