They called 4 times in one day. Our mission is protecting consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices through law enforcement, advocacy, and education without unduly burdening legitimate business activity. Demonstrators attempt to breach the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Zeitlin told Reuters he was not the target of the grand jury investigation. Zeitlin did not respond to questions about this issue. This site displays a prototype of a Web 2.0 version of the daily The stance of the protestors was not consistent with Attorney General Carrs position on election fraud. We interpret section 10(a) of the TRACED Act to encompass suspected or alleged violations of section 227(b) or section 227(e) as the most natural reading the of the statute. headings within the legal text of Federal Register documents. on A spokesperson for the Republican Attorneys General Association did not address questions about the robocall but sought to distance the organization from the event. In the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act), Congress directed the Commission to establish regulations to create a process that "streamlines the ways in which a private entity may voluntarily share with the Commission information relating to" a call or text message that violates . About the Federal Register The Commission will publish a document in the The committees treasurer, attorney Chris Marston, told Reuters the purpose of the PAC was to raise money in support of candidates who would help police and firefighters., Im sure the [call] scripts didnt misrepresent anything, Marston said. 47 U.S.C. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the The President of the United States manages the operations of the Executive branch of Government through Executive orders. Congress adopted the requirement to create a streamlined process to collect information about robocalls and spoofing against the backdrop of the existing informal consumer complaint process. 727-351-8757 "Committee for Police Officer Defense" illegal-telemarketing, likely a SCAM- this guy will call you daily, weekends, nights too, over and over from ever changing different numbers & using different fund names. Once submitted, the Bureau will review to determine whether the information presents evidence of a violation of our rules. Richard Zeitlin, the biggest fundraiser in the loose network identified by Reuters, told a reporter in a brief interview that he had closed down all of his call centers, saying I wanted a change in direction. Asked about ex-employees claims of deception in his companies PAC fundraising practices, he declined to discuss specifics. Section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Communications Act), is designed to protect consumers from unlawful robocalls. Interviews and records indicate managers at both firms once worked at a Zeitlin company called Courtesy Call. None of the three managers Reuters was able to identify could be reached for comment. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Neither Zeitlin nor his attorney would comment on the FTC lawsuit. OMB, the general public, and other Federal agencies will be invited to comment on the new or modified information collection requirements contained in this proceeding. My job is to deliver a message, and try as best as I can to make sure Im not working for a scumbag, he said. To protect law enforcement methods and techniques, we decline to adopt SAFE Credit Union's suggestion to detail the exact steps and criteria that the Bureau will use to evaluate the information submitted. e.g., documents in the last year, 940 The Federal Trade Commission, which is responsible for policing telemarketing, generally has no jurisdiction over political fundraising, said Lois Greisman, an associate director in charge of the agencys marketing practices division. , pursuant to sections 4(i), 4(j), and 227 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Weintraub and a fellow Democratic commissioner wrote a memo to that effect in 2016. The Commission directs the Enforcement Bureau to announce the effective date for those information collections in a document published in the edition of the Federal Register. While we encourage private entities to make use of the registered consortium's resources, we decline to mandate that private entities must coordinate with the consortium prior to submitting information to the Commission. That could punish well-intentioned organizations, he said. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Black's Law Dictionary defines entity as [a]n organization (such as a business or a governmental unit) that has a legal identity apart from its members or owners. Second, we find that, as a policy matter, we should exclude individuals from the definition of private entity as the term is used in section 10(a) of the TRACED Act. The Public Inspection page may also or to request reasonable accommodations ( Coffee is for Closers Only, read another. better and aid in comparing the online edition to the print edition. Federal Register POLICE OFFICERS DEFENSE ALLIANCE PAC. That goal is to help police officers fight against the continuing "War on Cops" by taking a varied political stance against politicians, activist judges, prosecutors, district attorneys and a host of others who try to bring police officers down by any means. The Police Officers' Defense Coalition was developed in consort with the Committee for Police Officers' Defense in order to help police officers, public safety officers, sheriffs, and all those who represent the law enforcement community fight against the "War on C ops". You are not lying, but you are being extremely misleading, said Jason Jones, 24, a former employee at Politicause. 1503 & 1507. Contact Information P.O. It is further ordered Earlier this week, we spoke out alongside others in the business community regarding the violence that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol.. documents in the last year, 83 Our past robocall enforcement actions have relied extensively upon information from private entities. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 155, 225, and 409, unless otherwise noted. For instance, the operation raised $16.8 million for PACs founded by Robert Piaro of Fredonia, Wisconsin, which purported to support police, veterans and people with breast cancer. Demonstrators attempt to enter the U.S. Capitol during a protest on Jan. 6, 2021. adopted Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML documents in the last year, 282 Sections 227(b), (c), and (d) impose specific requirements on telemarketing and prerecorded voice message calls to give consumers the ability to know who is calling and to control the calls they receive. Heroes United, accused of using deceptive tactics to get the firefighter donations, agreed to stop telemarketing in the county and to refund any donations. Document Drafting Handbook 804(2). Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. Adam Piper, the executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, and Peter Bisbee, the executive director of the fundraising arm, did not return requests for comment about the robocalls, which were first reported by the watchdog group Documented. Definition of Private Entity. Reuters obtained FTC complaint records, with names redacted, through a Freedom of Information Act request. documents in the last year, by the Executive Office of the President 23. Across the industry, calls are computer-generated before being routed to telemarketers, something Politicause and TPFE employees said allowed their firms to maximize the number of calls and to pester people repeatedly. The political action committee spent 91% of its money on fundraising in the 2 year examined by Reuters, Federal Election Commission records show. Back in 2019, a CNN investigation traced a series of mysterious robocalls claiming to raise money for Trump's wall back to Support American Leaders PAC. Last summer, after coming under fire from state and government regulators for alleged deception in fundraising for charities, he defended his reputation on a website called richardzeitlintruth.com. Caller name: Committee for Police Officer's Defense. The company later was renamed Politicause. Even so, Reuters identified a loose network of fundraising companies and PACs that quickly grew into a money-making force, with some ranking near the top fundraisers in the period stretching from January 2017 through mid-2019. SOURCE: National Consumer Law Center, Federal Trade Commission. we proposed to include individuals in the definition of private entity but sought comment on the proposed interpretation, and whether there was a basis for a different interpretation of the term. 03/03/2023, 43 Most were super PACs, but several were traditional political action committees, which have contribution limits. Compliance with the requirements of that information collection will not be required until after approval by the Office of Management and Budget. But because that suggested donors were contributing directly to purchasing new gear, the callers said they were told by managers to adjust their language. Gelvan was not accused of wrongdoing in the Montgomery County investigation. 801(a)(1)(A). Furthermore, we agree with commenters that the Bureau should protect the confidentiality of information submitted through the portal, especially because the data may include personally identifiable information or customer proprietary network information. 20. In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts rules to implement the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act) to streamline the process by which private entities may submit information to the Commission about violations of the Communications Act. Reuters Investigates offers several ways to securely contact our reporters. Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises area residents to be cautious of phone calls or mailers soliciting donations to the National Police Support Fund, an organization that describes itself as a. 154(i), 154(j), and 227, and section 10(a) of the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, Public Law 116-105, 133 Stat. All persons are required to submit truthful and accurate statements to the Commission. on We were good at slick-talking these people, said Dellinger, who court records show has been convicted of felonies including the truck theft and other burglary charges. Scam PAC telemarketers who use aggressive tactics in the charity realm also face less risk of scrutiny or sanction when they turn to PAC fundraising, regulators and former callers said. Police officers defense back. That goal is to help police officers fight against the continuing "War on Cops" by taking a varied political stance against politicians, activist judges, prosecutors, district attorneys and a host of others who try to bring police officers down by any means. On its website, this organization says you can be removed from its call list by completing this form . Reuters interviewed a dozen donors to PACs in the informal network. For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal Communications Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR parts 0 and 64 as follows: 1. Use our visualizations to explore scam and fraud trends in your state based on reports from consumers like you. Reporters visited the center last summer, though it has since closed. It wasnt easy: The secretive nature of this and other fundraising operations makes them difficult to pin down, he said, and he was able to identify the many players involved only by using subpoena power. We agree with comments expressing the importance of vetting submitted information and protecting confidentiality. Callers said they did so quickly and proudly, hoping people wouldnt catch on. Rather, they and their fundraisers present the PACs as charities, suggesting they support veterans, firefighters or victims of deadly diseases, for instance. publication in the future. https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/06171386503472/FCC-21-75A3.pdf. Now I'm not knocking on Mr. Fotis, I'm just reporting on what I have found and I thank him for his service in the Army and as a Police Officer. We released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ( One FAQ, given to callers at Politicause and reviewed by Reuters, shaped the fundraising pitch for asuper PAC called the American Coalition for Injured Veterans. 03/03/2023, 1465 The rules we adopt today create a streamlined process by which a private entity may submit information about suspected robocall and spoofing violations directly to the Bureau via an online portal located on the FCC website. a copy of this Report and Order Rulemaking, including the Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration. At the time Reuters visited, the firms Hoover call center was jammed with desks and callers on headsets. By Laura Strickler and Lisa Cavazuti. Its a sink or swim environment. it is ordered Only official editions of the 4. How Scam PACs fall through the cracks of U.S. regulators, The motto was, Leave your morals at the door, said Alexander Lefler, 21, who worked for nearly a year at a call center southeast of Birmingham, Alabama, describing what he saw as high-pressure and deceptive tactics. the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. Third, consumers will not be adversely affected by our decision to exclude them from the definition of private entity. This feature is not available for this document. documents in the last year, 122 Two of the fundraising companies identified by Reuters employed jail inmates and ex-cons as telemarketers, according to interviews in Alabama with several former employees, as well as court records. announcing that compliance date and revising this paragraph accordingly. Streamlined Process. Start Printed Page 52843 Appendix A, Some tips for consumers: Listen carefully for the name of the organization. 2. Another enforcement action relied extensively on information from an industry group, the USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group (Traceback Group). . 503, 132 Stat 348, 1091. should verify the contents of the documents against a final, official 14. Callers told Reuters they easily made the switch, working in the same buildings, for the same bosses, using similar scripts. A Rule by the Federal Communications Commission on 09/23/2021. We recognize that consumers might mistakenly file complaints through the new streamlined process rather than the existing consumer complaint process. I dont think you understand how hard it is to fundraise, said Forrest Sandusky Baker IV, a telemarketing professional. 20-374, FCC-21-75, adopted and released on June 17, 2021. We were good at slick-talking these people, one former caller, a felon, said of unwitting donors. We adopt rules to establish an online web portal where private entities may submit information about suspected violations of sections 227(b) and 227(e). Melaleuca, an online wellness shopping club, gave $290,000 to the Republican Attorneys General Association in 2020. that the Commission An official website of the United States government. Congress did not define private entity in the TRACED Act. ". According to John Riggins,. Search the Legal Library instead. The Commission has determined, and the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, concurs that this rule is non-major under the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts. No Republican AG authorized the staffs decision to amplify a colleague speaking at the event. A web of new political action committees raised nearly $6 million in recent months under the guise of supporting police, veterans and . This PDF is In the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act), Congress directed the Commission to establish regulations to create a process that streamlines the ways in which a private entity may voluntarily share with the Commission information relating to a call or text message that violates prohibitions regarding robocalls or spoofing set forth section 227(b) and 227(e) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. What is wrong with giving somebody a second chance? Zeitlin responded when Reuters asked about his hiring practices. To request this document in accessible formats for people with disabilities ( Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. We are proud to say its a 90-10 split, Jones recalled saying, leaving out that his company was getting the 90% share. Police Officers' Defense Coalition and Committee for Police Officers' Defense is committed to cleaning up the annals of justice by flushing out those who pretend to represent the people, but instead manipulate the system and the prosecute police officers as a stepping stone to their next higher political office. This Report and Order establishes a streamlined process for private entities to submit information about unlawful, unwanted calls. We are appalled at Wednesday's incursion into the Capital, and did not support any efforts by the Rule of Law Defense Fund, he said. We kind of all understood what we were doing was wrong, but I needed a place to live.. This repetition of headings to form internal navigation links March 24, 2017 Section 227(e) prohibits unlawful spoofingthe transmission of misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value. This prototype edition of the and services, go to (k) Perform such other functions as may be assigned or referred to it by the Commission. Sections 64.1204(a) and 64.1606(a) contain new or modified information collection requirements that require review by OMB under the PRA. would create consumer confusion and duplicate existing Commission robocall information collection efforts. It will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under section 3507(d) of the PRA. For further information, contact Daniel Stepanicich, Attorney, Telecommunications Consumers Division, Enforcement Bureau, at (202) 418-7451 or shall be effective If PACs spend nearly all of their money on fundraising and salaries, fundraisers can say they their motives were sincere and it costs money to raise money, he said. Date Blocked March 12, 2022 Call Activity Low Last detected 10 months ago Block this robocall and over 6,210,974 more! The Commission will send a copy of this Report and Order to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Private entity submissions of spoofing violations. website. Bass set up five super PACs allegedly dedicated to a range of causes including veterans and firefighters. documents in the last year, 513 In Montgomery County, Maryland, the consumer protection office recently won a settlement against a super PAC called Heroes United, run by Zachary Bass of Baltimore. We also have a process for obtaining information from certain public entities: Federal and state law enforcement agencies routinely coordinate with the Enforcement Bureau about robocall and caller ID spoofing enforcement and mitigation efforts. I was unaware of unauthorized decisions made by RLDF staff with regard to this weeks rally, said Marshall, who assumed his role Nov. 10. i.e., In a statement to NBC News, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who runs the fund, said the calls were sent out without his knowledge. While every effort has been made to ensure that A 5 On Your Side viewer got one of those calls recently, asking him to support the National. 19. If an individual consumer mistakenly files a complaint with the new portal, the Bureau will forward the complaint to the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Use the PDF linked in the document sidebar for the official electronic format. Quoting from its website, the "Committee for Police Officers' Defense is a 527 Committee designed to seek out radical prosecutors, judges and district attorneys." Another organization is. 17. on FederalRegister.gov daniel.stepanicich@fcc.gov. Elsewhere in the Communications Act, however, Congress used the term person to include individuals and organizational entities. Its infuriating, said Angelides, who learned from Reuters that it was a PAC that got his money. 6. Postal Service (USPS), a telecommunications industry expert, and a relative of a robocall scam victim. Laura Strickler is a senior investigative producer and reporter for NBC News. Paxtons office did not respond to a request for comment. documents in the last year, by the Coast Guard Lisa Cavazuti is an investigative reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. Register documents. Cherokee Nation Businesses does not condone these actions and strongly condemns the insurrectionists and all those who instigated the disruption of the federal government through their words and actions.. USTelecom requests that we encourage private entities to first coordinate with the registered traceback consortium prior to filing information in the portal. Ultimately, changes must come at the federal level, said Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat who chairs the Federal Election Commission. NPRM, In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission sued Zeitlin for allegedly deceptive practices in charity fundraising, but the case has been suspended because a grand jury was investigating, according to court documents. Starting with a group of eight fundraising operations that earned at least a half-million dollars each during this period, Reuters traced interconnections among them and 31 PACs. Several told NBC News that spending money on this kind of recruitment for protest runs counter to the purpose of their donation. electronic version on GPOs govinfo.gov. Though scam PACS have no standard definition and cant be definitively counted, a review of Federal Election Commission records suggests they account for a sliver of the some 6,800 PACs in the country. The portal is also available for use by private entities that have had their number(s) spoofed. Use of the portal is completely voluntary and we impose no new requirements on small businesses. Private entities and consumers who wish to submit information or complaints about robocalls will be directed on the FCC website to the appropriate intake process for their situationthe new portal for private entities or the existing informal consumer complaint process for consumers. Federal Register on Black's Law Dictionary defines public entity as a governmental entity, such as a state government or one of its political subdivisions. At least one statute, the Americans with Disabilities Act, defines public entity as any state or local government and any department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of a State or States or local government.. A private entity cannot determine whether a call violated the TCPA or the Truth in Caller ID Actthis determination is left to the Commission, an action brought by state law enforcement, or a judicial outcome from a private right of action. 2021-14711 Filed 9-22-21; 8:45 am], updated on 4:15 PM on Friday, March 3, 2023, updated on 8:45 AM on Friday, March 3, 2023, 105 documents Legitimate charities can be checked on websites such as www.guidestar.org. Ask if the donation is tax-deductible. Consistent with these privacy protections, however, the Bureau may share information gathered from the portal with other government agencies combatting robocalls. We have been assured by RAGA that none of our contributions to RAGA were given to the Rule of Law Defense Fund., In a statement, Comcast said: "We have long supported Democratic and Republican associations of attorneys general. We find that our decision to exclude individual consumers from the definition of private entity will greatly reduce, if not eliminate, potential confusion. The President of the United States communicates information on holidays, commemorations, special observances, trade, and policy through Proclamations. Thus we adopt SAFE Credit Union's suggestion that the portal clearly explain its purpose and intended use. To that end, the new portal's home page will include prominent language that not only explains its purpose and use, but also distinguishes that portal from the existing informal consumer complaint process so as to minimize possible confusion.