Doug Gansler Files Complaint Against Robo-Calls
BALTIMORE (WJZ) - The consultant behind the robocalls that targeted thousands of Maryland voters could have to pay up. Derek Valcourt spoke with the attorney general about this new development.
Maryland's new attorney general is hoping that this $168 million federal civil suit will set an example of the three individuals named in the suit so that it never happens again.
"I'm on the Bob Ehrlich team," said political consultant Julius Henson.
Henson is at the center of a complaint filed in court by Doug Gansler alleging 112,000 robocalls made on election night by Henson's company, Universal Elections, violated the Consumer Protection Act by failing to disclose the required information about who made this robocall to registered Democrats hours before the polls closed.
"I'm calling to let everyone know that Governor O'Malley and President Obama have been successful. We're okay. Relax. Everything is fine. The only thing left is to watch it on TV tonight," said the call.
"This is with the intent to suppress voter turnout, much like literacy tests and poll taxes in the past. We do not tolerate this type of behavior in Maryland," said Doug Gansler.
Gansler's complaint asks for a fine of $168 million against Henson, his company and a coworker, Rhonda Russell, who worked for Bob Ehrlich.
"We had no reason to believe that Bob Ehrlich had any knowledge that these calls were put out or that he had any knowledge of the content of these calls, so Bob Ehrlich is not at this point nor in the future a potential defendant here," Gansler said.
Gansler says he is hoping at this point that the civil suit will be tripled by a judge. He says it does not rule out in any way a Maryland state prosecutor or the Baltimore attorney or the Prince George's County city state's attorneys for filing criminal charges.
Henson and his attorney were not available for comment Wednesday.
