The Commission will publish a document in the 17. 03/03/2023, 43 The Public Inspection page Instead, the bulk of the money is kept by fundraising firms or the people running the PACs. If you are using public inspection listings for legal research, you Search the Legal Library instead. The authority citation for part 64 continues to read as follows: Authority: Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. We find that adopting a distinct intake process for private entities best satisfies the statutory language, while integrating it with the existing process managed by the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau will reduce administrative costs and consumer confusion. 2. rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not Generally, those in the informal network portrayed themselves as charitable, gave little to the causes they promoted and relied principally on small donors. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. You are not lying, but you are being extremely misleading, said Jason Jones, 24, a former employee at Politicause. Federal Register Some tips for consumers: Listen carefully for the name of the organization. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. When asked by potential donors how much of the money would go to the cause they were touting, telemarketers said they suggested it was the vast majority. This new portal will not affect the process by which a consumer submits an informal complaint about a robocall or spoofed call, using the long-standing process located on the Commission's homepage. We are appalled and condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms and have communicated that to RAGA. In the 2 year period examined by Reuters, records show, TPFE and three other Zeitlin firms earned more than $27.6 million for PAC fundraising. 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. We define private entity as any entity other than (1) an individual natural person or (2) a public entity. The Commission has a well-established process for individual consumers to submit complaints about unwanted and suspected illegal robocalls and spoofed calls: The Commission's informal consumer complaint process, which the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau oversees. 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. The "Committee for Police Officer's Defense" (CPOD) was configured 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. fcc504@fcc.gov To request this document in accessible formats for people with disabilities ( establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned Most of the guys that are real good are felons., Regulators responsible for protecting U.S. consumers from potentially unscrupulous fundraisers face a bedeviling new challenge: the scam PAC.. the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for 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. And while law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, have hit some alleged bad actors withfraud charges, it generally is only when they have tried to conceal where the funds were going, said Adav Noti, a former Federal Election Commission lawyer and now chief of staff at the Washington D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization of specialists in election law. Gifts to actual charities are; donations to PACs, which sometimes sound like charities, are not. Never disclose personal information. Or follow the simplest rule: Never give to anyone over the phone, said Margot Saunders, senior counsel for the National Consumer Law Center. What is wrong with giving somebody a second chance? Zeitlin responded when Reuters asked about his hiring practices. documents in the last year, 35 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 . 3274, this Report and Order, is hereby Consumers are already served by the existing informal complaint intake process, and the TRACED Act gives no indication that Congress intended to upset or replace that process. documents in the last year, 83 This repetition of headings to form internal navigation links 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. We agree with the commenters and therefore exclude individual natural persons from the definition of private entity. 151, 152, 154, 201, 202, 217, 218, 220, 222, 225, 226, 227, 227b, 228, 251(a), 251(e), 254(k), 262, 276, 403(b)(2)(B), (c), 616, 620, 1401-1473, unless otherwise noted, Pub. The political action committee spent 91% of its money on fundraising in the 2 year examined by Reuters, Federal Election Commission records show. To request material in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an email to 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. i.e., For complete information about, and access to, our official publications How 'Scam PACs' reap millions in the name of heart-tugging causes . To the extent allowed by the Privacy Act of 1974 and our rules, the portal will clearly state that the Bureau may share submitted information with the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, other federal agencies combatting robocalls, state attorney general offices, other law enforcement entities with which the Commission has information sharing agreements, and the registered traceback consortium. Consistent with these privacy protections, however, the Bureau may share information gathered from the portal with other government agencies combatting robocalls. Good evening this is Mike Stevens calling for the . It is further ordered of the issuing agency. . The fundraisers later went to work for PACs under the names Politicause and Pledge Assistance, both registered in Wyoming, which requires little disclosure from corporations. We acknowledge commenters' concerns that, at least initially, private entities might be confused about whether the consumer complaint process or the new streamlined process is a more appropriate place to submit information. According to John Riggins,. Commenters were concerned that the definition proposed in the Zeitlin, whose operations also have been examinedby the Center for Public Integrity and other media outlets, said on his website that hes never been accused, indicted, tried or convicted of anything.. That could punish well-intentioned organizations, he said. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. Jan. 8, 2021, 5:36 PM PST. Sections 64.1204(a) and 64.1606(a) contain new or modified information collection requirements that require review by OMB under the PRA. 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. Interviews and records indicate managers at both firms once worked at a Zeitlin company called Courtesy Call. The Better Business Bureau says if anyone calls or knocks asking you to help the police, the best thing you can do is ask them for information before you agree to donate. documents in the last year, 467 Committee for Police Officers' Defense Launches Petition in Support of People are getting ripped off, Weintraub said in an interview. Treasurer: POLLOCK, KECIA MARIE. 6. The calls always seem to come when you least expect it. e.g., We agree with comments expressing the importance of vetting submitted information and protecting confidentiality. 801(a)(1)(A). Through interviews with the former callers and donors, reviews of call scripts and visits to threecall centers in Alabama, Reuters has obtained rare access into the world of these for-profit fundraisers, a tiny but lucrative niche of the multi-billion-dollar U.S. telemarketing industry. 562-512-7043 | 15625127043 - Phone Scam Alert! - Nomorobo Coffee is for Closers Only, read another. It is further ordered Police Officer Defense Alliance - Better Business Bureau on 26. Thus, we have minimized the impact on small businesses. The site has since been taken down. Appendix A, Commenters suggested that the Commission consolidate the new portal and its existing informal consumer complaint process, which the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau administers, or better distinguish the two processes by defining private entity to exclude consumers. In return for tax-exempt status, charities generally must register with states, disclose their key employees and account for how the money is spent in some cases by providing audited financial statements. Private entity submissions of robocall violations. This document has been published in the Federal Register. In fact, scam PAC operators and fundraisers are often old hands of the charity world, with a history of run-ins with regulators, state and federal records show. Former Politicause employee Armstrong said he was fired in 2018, when the call center did charity fundraising, for having drugs at work. or call the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). The Public Inspection page may also 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. About 82% of the money, $13.8 million, went to Zeitlins firms, while Piaro collected $190,613 in salary from the PACs, according to the records. Many companies that donated to the Republican Attorneys General Association also gave to the Democratic Party equivalent. 25. shall send 4. Federal Register provide legal notice to the public and judicial notice NPRM, 19. By Laura Strickler and Lisa Cavazuti. In addition, public entities often contact Enforcement Bureau staff directly about robocalling and spoofing matters. Here it would be virtually impossible for the consumer to do any research, he said. Donation | Police Officers' Defense Coalition The calls, which did not advocate violence or suggest the building should be breached, was sent out by the Rule of Law Defense Fund, a fundraising arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association. The full text of this document is available for public inspection online at The callers said theyd already honed their charity pitches and so found it easy to repurpose them for the political committees, appealing to patriotism and what one called pulling heartstrings.. 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. 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. But because that suggested donors were contributing directly to purchasing new gear, the callers said they were told by managers to adjust their language. on NARA's archives.gov. Most were super PACs, but several were traditional political action committees, which have contribution limits. on Gelvan was not accused of wrongdoing in the Montgomery County investigation. The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau uses this (c) Compliance dateparagraph (a) of this section contains a voluntary information collection. What a racket, oh my God., On his website, Zeitlin said his firms revenue which he described as 80% to 90% of the proceeds may seem high but actually is standard for the industry and is needed to offset high costs for technology and intensive time-consuming labor.. Reuters also could not ascertain the ownership of another large fundraising operation with a call center in Hoover, Alabama, some 45 miles from Zeitlins center in Sylacauga. a phone number), the caller ID information displayed, the phone number(s) called, the date(s) and time(s) of the relevant calls or texts, the name of the reporting private entity's service provider, and a description of the problematic calls or texts. or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice). Jessica Blanchard, 23, who worked at Politicause in 2018, said many callers either were addicts from halfway houses or jail inmates on work release. Instead, the new portal will be integrated with, but distinct from, the existing consumer complaint process. Pepsi and the NRA did not respond to requests for comment. Callers said they did so quickly and proudly, hoping people wouldnt catch on. Laura Strickler is a senior investigative producer and reporter for NBC News. 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. Baker said he founded Salt Lake City fundraising firm American Public Resource because he hoped to support worthy goals like helping veterans.The firm was paid nearly $3 million from 2017 through mid-2019 for its work raising money for PACS that spent anywhere from 0% to 7% on their promoted causes. Reuters interviewed a dozen donors to PACs in the informal network. Another enforcement action relied extensively on information from an industry group, the USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group (Traceback Group). Demonstrators attempt to breach the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. documents in the last year, 981 New Documents 09/22/2021 at 8:45 am. developer tools pages. Victor J. The President of the United States issues other types of documents, including but not limited to; memoranda, notices, determinations, letters, messages, and orders. 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. Robocalls | Federal Trade Commission In recent years, some telemarketers have used technology to bombard consumers with hundreds of millions of prerecorded calls that are often unwanted and frequently deceptive. Committee for Police Officers' Defense We were good at slick-talking these people, one former caller, a felon, said of unwitting donors. 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. that the Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Reference Information Center, Its the only thing in life Ive ever been (expletive) good at, said Armstrong, who records show has theft and drug convictions. We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. documents in the last year, 122 About | Police Officers' Defense Coalition In the Good evening this is Mike Stevens calling for the Committee for police officers defense this calls recorded for quality assurance Ok Hello hello. Legitimate charities can be checked on websites such as www.guidestar.org. Ask if the donation is tax-deductible. 227(e). Looking for legal documents or records? In this Issue, Documents Scam PACs tend to slip through gaps among agencies that govern elections, charities and telemarketing, regulators say, leaving consumers exposed to misleading or fraudulent pitches. The groups share funding, staff and office space in Washington, D.C. Earlier this week, we spoke out alongside others in the business community regarding the violence that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol.. Amend 0.111 by redesignating paragraph (j) as paragraph (k) and revising it and by adding new paragraph (j) to read as follows: (j) Collects and reviews information received from private entities related to violations of 64.1200(a) and 64.1604(a) of this chapter. March 24, 2017 As his office pursued the money trail in the Bass investigation, for instance, Friedman said it came across an organization called Market Process Group, one of the eight fundraisers examined by Reuters. 269-257-6522 | 12692576522 - Phone Scam Alert! - Nomorobo committeeforpoliceofficersdefense.com Review - Scam Detector The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau also forwards complaints to the Enforcement Bureau, which may use them to pursue enforcement actions. Federal campaign records tell part of the story. First, we find that interpreting the term to exclude individual consumers from the definition of private entity is consistent with Congress's other uses of that term and similar terms. Some of the workers for TPFE also had felony convictions, according to several former callers and court records. it is ordered Reached for comment, the Chamber of Commerce provided a statement from Harold Kim, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. We agree with Twilio that private entities and consumers should be directed to a centralized reporting mechanism, but we also find that the new portal should be distinct from the existing informal consumer complaint process. [FR Doc. While acknowledging that every industry has its bad apples,he wrote: To this day it strikes me as odd that an industry that has over the years hired hundreds of thousands of people (perhaps millions), many of whom had trouble holding down more traditional day jobs, would become such a punching bag for the government and the media.. NPRM People with Disabilities. They often are set up as super PACs, groups which in recent years have been empowered by the courts to raise and spend money in unlimited amounts, with little regulation. Federal Register But proving it can be a challenge, she said when, for example, conversations arent recorded and callers stray beyond the boundaries of scripts that toe the line. 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. Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. It is further ordered ". Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and 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. I dont think you understand how hard it is to fundraise, said Forrest Sandusky Baker IV, a telemarketing professional. Section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Communications Act), is designed to protect consumers from unlawful robocalls. documents in the last year, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Federal election laws were designed to prevent corruption, he said, not to protect consumers.. These workers were a convenient labor pool and skilled at getting people to open their wallets, former callers said. This feature is not available for this document. Our past robocall enforcement actions have relied extensively upon information from private entities. 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. We are committed to protecting and defending law enforcement against progressive politicians, judges, and other officials that encourage the war on cops. The portal is available for use by private entities that wish to submit information about suspected robocall or spoofing violations. not individual consumers) about robocalls and spoofing best aligns with the TRACED Act requirement. The portal is also available for use by private entities that have had their number(s) spoofed. 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. accessible format documents, sign language interpreters, CART, etc. documents in the last year, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Committee type: Super PAC (Independent Expenditure-Only) Committee designation: Unauthorized. The "Committee for Police Officer's Defense" (CPOD) was configured in order to complete an intrinsic goal. At 1 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal, said the voice on the recording, which was obtained by NBC News. Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official How do I know you are telling the truth or the people who talked to you are telling the truth? he said. I cant speak to peoples understanding or what the scripts said., I dont think you understand how hard it is to fundraise. They said to pitch it like it was a charity but as quietly and quickly as you can, slip in that it was a PAC, said Lefler, who worked at TPFE until March. e.g., The site is secure. The Committee for Police Officer's Defense works diligently to bring awareness to the fact that when these anti-police officials seek to regain public office, remain seated on the bench, or hold office- they create a dangerous environment for our upstanding men and women in blue. documents in the last year, 36 Reuters obtained FTC complaint records, with names redacted, through a Freedom of Information Act request. 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. We are proud to say its a 90-10 split, Jones recalled saying, leaving out that his company was getting the 90% share. ), send an email to Add 64.1204 to subpart L to read as follows: (a) Any private entity may submit to the Enforcement Bureau information related to a call made or a text message sent that the private entity has reason to believe was in violation of 64.1200(a) or 47 U.S.C. Bass set up five super PACs allegedly dedicated to a range of causes including veterans and firefighters. I was unaware of unauthorized decisions made by RLDF staff with regard to this weeks rally, said Marshall, who assumed his role Nov. 10. shall be effective When she later realized it was a PAC telemarketer, she felt exploited. The .gov means its official. A JPMorgan spokesperson said its political action committee donated $25,000 to the attorneys general group and none of it went to the Rule of Law Defense Fund. Those who responded denied their marketing was deceptive and defended their business model and compensation. corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts. Gelvan agreed to a permanent ban on raising money for charity in New York in 2004 in a case that accused him of deceptive telemarketing for a state troopers charity, court documents show, and he paid a $50,000 finefor violating that agreement 10 years later. We find that our decision to exclude individual consumers from the definition of private entity will greatly reduce, if not eliminate, potential confusion. the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with The "Committee for Police Officer's Defense" (CPOD) was configured 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. daniel.stepanicich@fcc.gov. 4. Although the portal will not reject submissions that fail to include the above information, such failure will make it more difficult for the Bureau to investigate fully and take appropriate enforcement action. . Information about this document as published in the Federal Register. All told, the PACs took in $83.1 million during the 2 year period examined by Reuters, about 82% of which went to the eight fundraising companies, according to the campaign disclosures required by the FEC. documents in the last year, by the Energy Department Its infuriating, said Angelides, who learned from Reuters that it was a PAC that got his money. Ultimately, changes must come at the federal level, said Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat who chairs the Federal Election Commission. website. The PACs examined for this article typically handed over less than 10% of their take sometimes less than 1% to candidates or causes, Reuters found. 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. to the courts under 44 U.S.C. regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of by the Foreign Assets Control Office Committee for Police Officers Defense - Overview, News & Competitors Compliance with the requirements of that information collection will not be required until after approval by the Office of Management and Budget.
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