Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) campaign has paid a $7,500 settlement to an Illinois man in a lawsuit over “invasive and harassing” fundraising text messages.
Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House, is definitely not the only politician who sends mass spam text messages to voters begging for donations — but this lawsuit is not just about the nonstop campaign messages, it’s about the Democrat congresswoman’s campaign ignoring the law.
Jorge Rojas sued Pelosi, her campaign and the Democrats’ fundraising arm ActBlue in federal court in October — accusing them of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 after he was sent 21 “harassing” text messages in a nine-month span, according to Business Insider.
NEW — have you ever received a Pelosi fundraising text like this?
An Illinois man who received 21 of them sued Pelosi for $31,500, accusing her of violating anti-robocalling laws.
Her campaign paid him a $7,500 settlement, according to new FEC filings.https://t.co/8I0Jgvesw8 pic.twitter.com/tHNJfMPDVS
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) April 17, 2023
While the law was initially created to protect Americans from telemarketers — ordering them not to contact U.S. residents that are listed on the Do Not Call Registry — the law has since been found to apply to text messages as well.
“As the Supreme Court has explained, Americans passionately disagree about many things,” Rojas’ complaint states. “But they are largely united in their disdain for robocalls. The government receives a staggering number of complaints about robocalls—3.7 million complaints in 2019. The States likewise field a constant barrage of complaints.”
In 2008, the complainant placed himself on the Do Not Call Registry, and says that he had done so in order to “obtain solitude from invasive and harassing telemarketing calls,” according to the lawsuit.
Rojas went on to argue that the text messages from Pelosi’s campaign had amounted to a “malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, wanton and negligent disregard” for his rights — and claimed that he had “experienced frustration, annoyance, irritation, and a sense that his privacy has been invaded.”
While he sought at least $31,500 in damages — which includes $1,500 for each text message he received from the Democrat congresswoman’s campaign — Rojas suddenly dropped the lawsuit in February.
It was later discovered via campaign finance disclosures, which were released on Friday, that Pelosi’s campaign had paid Rojas $7,500 as part of a “settlement.”
According to Breitbart News, “Neither Rojas nor Pelosi’s office has commented on the settlement payment.”
Rojas also made headlines late last year after he sued the California Democrat Party for $4,500 in damages, according to the New York Post.
