Bongino Camp files FEC Complaint Over Sobhani Robocall
As Brian Griffiths documented here yesterday. Rob Sobhani campaign put out a robocall denouncing the “Republican nominee for Senate.” The call went out without an authority line.
“Faced with collapsing poll numbers despite spending his personal fortune, Rob Sobhani decided to continue his campaign of deceit by brazenly violating the law,” said Sharon Strine, deputy campaign manager of Bongino for Senate. “There was clearly a misleading automated phone call, meant to confuse Marylanders, placed without the authority or disclaimer line as federal law requires, in an apparent attempt to hide its origins.” Under Federal Election Commission regulations, all public communications–including robocalls–that are paid for by a federal candidate’s campaign must include a disclaimer indicating that the call was paid for by the campaign so as not to mislead the public. The robocalls also do not comply with Federal Communications Commission disclaimer rules, which require that a robocall include at the beginning the identity of the entity that initiated the call. In addition, during or after the message, the telephone number or address of the entity is to be mentioned as well.
Last week Sobhani sent a letter to Republicans from “lifelong conservative Republican” Tony Marsh arguing that a vote for Bongino is a vote for Cardin. The letter did not disclose that Marsh is paid consultant for Sobhani.
At the same time Sobhani sent out sample ballots urging voters to vote for President Barack Obama and himself for Senate.
