Wisconsin Lawmakers Seek To Criminalize Prank Phone Calls That Make Scott Walker Look Bad

Last week, Ian Murphy of the Buffalo Beast won the week when he called up Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and pretended to be billionaire David Koch. We were pretty impressed by the level of access afforded to the influential Koch dealer. You go ahead and try to get a governor on the phone for a long and rambling conversation that easily, powerful teachers' unions!

Wisconsin lawmakers at the center of the conflagration over Walker's "budget repair" bill have been quick to address the problem that lies at the heart of the Koch prank call, and are responding to it by demanding greater transparency over the special interests and influence peddlers who have direct access to the statehouse moving to criminalize prank phone calls:

Sen. Mary Lazich, R-Waukesha, and Rep. Mark Honadel, R-Milwaukee, authored a bill that would prohibit tricking the call's recipient into believing the caller is someone they are not for malicious purposes.

"While use of spoofing is said to have some legitimate uses, it can also be used to frighten, harass and potentially defraud," Lazich and Honadel said in an e-mail to legislators.

The bill language forbids a caller from intentionally providing a false phone number and convincing the person receiving the call that it comes from someone other than the actual caller.

The bill would make it illegal to defraud, cause harm or wrongfully obtain any information of value from using a caller identification service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. It would also prohibit individuals from masking their voices or providing a fake phone number to the call recipient, said Jason Vick, spokesperson for Honadel.

Aren't there already laws against fraud and harassment and terrifying people in Wisconsin? Because this sort of makes it look like legislators are primarily motivated by the need to make "making Scott Walker look stupid" a criminal offense.

According to the Badger Herald, this measure "is not yet scheduled for a committee hearing." So for anyone out there who wants to call up the statehouse to give tips on where they might find the fugitive Democratic lawmakers, as Second City comedian Andy Cobb suggests in the video below, there's still time before such japery is subject to criminal penalties.

[Hat Tip: The Buffalo Beast]

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Comments

[throwcautiontothewind]

01:32 PM on 03/09/2011

The prank caller was from out of state, so WI law wouldn't have covered him anyway.

Snap!

[ohxpress]

08:10 PM on 03/08/2011

Hmmm.... and I bet those same Republicans wring their hands with glee over James O'Keefe's films. Whatever they do, they had better make it quick, before the residents of Wisconsin decide they've had enough of their shenanigans and boost them out of office as well.

[SeekWisdom]

12:24 AM on 03/08/2011

He looks like he's had a stroke in that photo

[rosal]

02:52 PM on 03/07/2011

Pay attention people, there is no bill pending against corrupt politicians pandering to billionaires, but there is one against pranksters.
God Bless America!

[Y3rMawm]

01:33 AM on 03/07/2011

Considered this less of a partisan K00l-Aid issue, and more of a Government SoP

[madrediterra]

01:07 AM on 03/07/2011

Why stop here? There are scads of things that make Scott Walker look bad, criminalize all of them. Union busting, layoffs, plans to trick Dem senators, his words, deeds, ideology, rich friends, the Tea Party ... There is no end in sight, throw the cuffs on Walker and take HIM away for his criminal intent.

[throwcautiontothewind]

01:32 PM on 03/09/2011

don't forget criminalizing just plain outright st up id ity.

[elljay1]

07:02 PM on 03/04/2011

They want to make it a crime to make walker look stupid.
what if he makes himself look stupid

[Telly Savalas]

07:50 AM on 03/10/2011

Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination..... ;-)

[canchita]

03:59 PM on 03/04/2011

I think it's actually Scott Walker making Scott Walker look bad. He doesn't seem to need any help from anyone else.

[dhhh]

11:16 AM on 03/04/2011

Now that Obama is allowing BP to drill again right next to the failed well 150 ft deeper...Why not let all the tea bagger politicians inspect the safety of these rigs.

[dhhh]

06:24 PM on 03/05/2011

correction Bp is drilling 1500 ft deeper than before without any safety and looking to create catastrophe from ignorance and greed

[ilaughtilicried]

05:37 PM on 03/07/2011

dhh lol

[SaneThoughts]

06:16 PM on 03/03/2011

Typical Repub thinking. Pass another stupid law that cant be enforced. Maybe there should be an intelligence test for politicians. That would be grossly unfair because Repubs don't believe in science, fact, knowledge, learning, rational thought and critical thinking. Just wave some money under their noses. That's their motivation.

[growelly]

06:02 PM on 03/03/2011

What happened to "I didn't say anything on the phone I didn't say in public?"

I mean, what's the big deal then, right? RIGHT???

[fisherman959]

04:55 PM on 03/03/2011

Gov. Walker will look BAD each time he looks in a mirror. He will ALWAYS look BAD!

[Figerre]

11:46 AM on 03/03/2011

They didn't make Walker 'look bad' --- they exposed his plan.

As for misrepresenting yourself, there are laws against taping someone unless they are aware of the taping.

[HeliosOne]

11:39 AM on 03/03/2011

No more calling up Moe's Bar looking for "Amanda Kiss"? Awwww.... =(

[nevermime]

10:33 AM on 03/03/2011

If this law passes and is retroactive I am in deep trouble. I though the republicans were for less government?