Attorney General Todd Rokita, along with seven other attorneys general, recently asked the court to take aggressive action against John Caldwell Spiller II, after Spiller violated permanent robocall and telemarketing bans issued in March 2023.
“Robocalls are not only annoying, but they are also harmful to Hoosiers’ finances,” Attorney General Rokita said. “When robocallers act, innocent victims are at risk even if they simply pick up the phone. Once these deceitful callers know a number is tied to a legitimate person they will continue to target them with one goal in mind – taking their hard-earned money.”
Attorney General Rokita obtained judgments shutting down a massive robocall operation involving Spiller and other defendants last year.
As part of the judgment, Spiller was banned from making robocalls or engaging in telemarketing. Despite this permanent injunction, Spiller continued to harass people by making deceptive and abusive robocalls and by helping others make these calls.
Spiller used aliases and falsified business records filed in various states and with the Federal Communications Commission to continue doing this illegal business. Further, since the attorneys general sued him and his co-defendants, Spiller has set up at least three new businesses through which he engaged in telemarketing and facilitated robocalls.
Because he violated these bans on robocalling and telemarketing, Attorney General Rokita and the 7-state coalition are asking the court to ban Spiller from engaging in all telephone-related services, to dissolve his existing telephone service companies, and pay $122,339,320.
Attorney General Rokita has made it a major mission to protect Hoosiers from robocalls since he took office in 2021.
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office is joined in filing this motion by the Attorneys General of Arkansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and Texas.
A copy of the motions are attached.
###
Beware of work-study programs disguised as political activities: GOP attorneys general letter to DOE
The attorneys general of West Virginia and Indiana led a coalition of 16 states in sending a letter recently to the Department of Education, warning that the agency's recent guidance on work study funding may violate existing federal law.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey ]took aim at a "Dear Colleague" memorandum penned in late February by Assistant Education Secretary Nasser Paydar. In the document, Paydar informed universities and colleges that federal work study funds may be used for employment by public agencies for "civic engagement work that is not associated with a particular interest or group."
The attorneys general expressed concern at the guidance's advisement that such civic engagement work may include "broad-based get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, providing voter assistance at a polling place or via voter hotline, or poll worker service." They noted Congress designed the federal work study program to support community service activities for student-workers.
"Your guidance effectively licenses colleges and universities to subsidize this activity – and potentially swing elections by choosing where to direct these funds – with taxpayer money," the letter reads. "That approach violates limitations imposed by law."
It goes on to say that U.S. taxpayers shouldn't have to "foot the bill for anyone’s political activity, regardless of who benefits."
Rokita, Morrisey, and the other signatories further pointed to Education Department policy which states that student work is not in the public interest if it involves any partisan or nonpartisan political activity. They claimed Paydar's memo forgets those limits by allowing support for a wide range of voter registration services, which the attorneys general said are both political and often the most valuable political activities in which a party or candidate can engage.
Their letter continued, arguing that the Education Department's guidance fails to install proper guardrails to protect the program from abuse. For example, it doesn't supply instructions on regulating voter registration activities aimed at boosting a particular party in a particular jurisdiction.
"Decisions about which neighborhoods and precincts to work can pay big dividends in November," they wrote.
And the letter concluded by suggesting the Education Department's guidance is part of a broader effort to use public initiatives to enlist favored voters. The officials urged the agency to recognize that "parties and candidates are supposed to work and fund their own election efforts."
In addition to Rokita and Morrisey, the attorneys general from Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah joined in signing it.
Attorney General Todd Rokita warns Hoosiers of flood-related fraudsters
Following the heavy rainfall throughout the state, Attorney General Todd Rokita is warning Hoosiers of scammers who use bad weather and pose as repairmen to gain personal information from hardworking homeowners to drain their bank accounts.
April showers might bring May flowers, but they also bring con artists to your area claiming to help with flood damage.
“When storms of any kind hit the state, it can cause good-hearted people to trust others’ deceitful intentions when they offer to help,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Please be cautious if someone approaches you about storm-related repairs and do not give your information away before doing your research.”
Unfortunately, far too many dubious con artists appear on people’s doorsteps, promise to make needed repairs, and then disappear with their victims’ down payment in their pockets — never to return to do the work.
Attorney General Rokita is sharing the following tips to help Hoosiers avoid falling victim to storm-chasing scammers:
• Be skeptical of people promising immediate cleanup and debris removal.
• Know that FEMA doesn’t charge application fees. If someone wants money to help you qualify for FEMA funds, that’s probably a scam.
• Check out contractors’ reputations before enlisting their services.
• Ask for IDs, licenses, and proof the contractor is both bonded and insured.
• Get more than one estimate for work.
• Don’t believe any promises that aren’t in writing.
• Never pay by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or in cash.
• Don’t pay the full amount for the project up front.
Dealing with a flood or any weather-related disaster is never easy, but when scammers target people just trying to recover, the experience can become even more difficult.
If you ever suspect a scam of any type, file a complaint at indianaconsumer.com or call Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office at 1-800-382-5516.
###
|
