DALLAS – While Beto O’Rourke believes “Texas deserves better,” at least one Texan believes he’s owed $500 for each unsolicited text received from the Democratic hopeful’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Seeking damages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Sameer Syed filed a potential class action lawsuit against Beto For Texas on Oct. 18 in the U.S. District Court for Northern Texas, Dallas Division.
The TCPA prohibits calling or text messaging individuals on their cell phone using an automated dialing system without their consent, except for emergency purposes.
Jaffer
Syed alleges he began receiving text messages from Beto’s campaign in 2018, around nine in total from different phone numbers.
When he called the numbers that sent the texts, the calls resulted in error messages or disconnected dial tones, illustrating that the texts did not originate from cell phones but rather from an automated telephone dialing system, according to the lawsuit.
Syed maintains the campaign never had permission to text or call his cell numbers.
“The calls placed by Defendant to Plaintiff were regarding political campaign activity and not for emergency purposes,” the suit states. “Under the TCPA … Defendant is liable to Plaintiff for at least $500.00 per call.
“Moreover, Defendant’s willful and knowing violations of the TCPA should trigger this Honorable Court’s ability to triple the damages.”
Syed is represented by Dallas attorney Shawn Jaffer.
Case No. 3:18-cv-02791-L