A registered sex offender, William J. Hunsaker Jr., has filed lawsuits against 17 right-leaning political groups over the past two years, alleging that their robocalls and texts to him were illegal because his phone number is in the National Do Not Call Registry. Hunsaker has sought a total of $100,000 in damages from these groups, including Turning Point USA, Jim Jordan’s campaign, and Donald Trump’s PAC. Some of the cases have been settled, with Hunsaker receiving payments from some of the defendants.
Hunsaker first filed a lawsuit against Turning Point USA in July 2022, seeking $1,500 in damages. He voluntarily dismissed this case with prejudice in December 2022 after reaching a settlement with the organization. Hunsaker has also sued the Denver Gazette, Save America, and several other political campaigns and committees, seeking damages ranging from $3,900 to $21,000. Some of these cases are still open, while others have been closed.
Despite Hunsaker’s past as a convicted sex offender, he claims that the political groups he sued were not aware of his background. Hunsaker was convicted of sexual assault on a child in 2006 and served time in prison before being paroled in February 2019. He added his phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry later that year. Even with his criminal history, Hunsaker insists that the defendants violated the law and that is why he filed the lawsuits against them.
Political organizations face fines of up to $50,000 per call for contacting numbers listed in the National Do Not Call Registry without prior express consent. Recipients of such calls can also sue the caller for damages, with potential payouts of $500 per violation or $1,500 if the caller is found to have willfully or knowingly violated the regulations. Hunsaker’s legal actions have drawn attention to the issue of political groups contacting individuals on the Do Not Call Registry.
Some of the political groups targeted by Hunsaker have pushed back against the lawsuits, with the NRSC and Mike Johnson’s campaign stating that they are fighting the claims in court. Other organizations, such as Save America, have settled with Hunsaker, with payments being made for legal purposes. Hunsaker maintains that his motivations are not based on partisanship and that he would pursue legal action against any group that violates the law, regardless of political affiliation.
As Hunsaker continues to pursue legal action against political groups for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the issue of unauthorized robocalls and texts to individuals on the National Do Not Call Registry remains a contentious issue. While some cases have been settled, others are ongoing, highlighting the challenges faced by both callers and recipients in navigating the complex regulations surrounding telecommunications and political campaigning.
