About a week ago, the campaign to recall Michigan Governor Rick Snyder
passed 50% of the signatures required to trigger a recall election. At almost exactly the same time, Michigan residents started receiving robocalls from an unidentified source warning them that the recall petitions might be a form of identity theft.
Eclectablog broke the story and has the audio of one of these robocalls. Here's a transcript:
This is an identity theft alert. Petitions are being circulated door-to-door and at public locations throughout the county that require your name, your address and your signature. The State of Michigan does not require a license or bond for signature gatherers and anyone can collect signatures regardless of their police record.
Be very careful who you give your personal information to, particularly your signature. In many cases, copies of these petitions, with your signature, are sent overseas for processing. Be on the alert for fraudulent attempts to get your personal information.
The call can only be referencing the ongoing recall drives against both Rick Snyder and dozens of Republicans in the Michigan state legislature, which have been going door-to-door and appearing at public locations across the state. Further, the incoming number for these calls is 877-366-9612, which Eclectablog notes has been previously associated with anti-Democratic robocalls.
Republicans must be getting pretty freaked out by the recall campaigns in Michigan if they are starting to pull stunts like this. They should be freaked out too, as there are now over 6,000 volunteers signed up to circulate recall petitions, including several hundred who signed up in the last week.
Daily Kos and Fire Rick Snyder are looking to hire organizing staff to supplement what has so far been an all-volunteer operation. For every $5,500 we raise, a new organizer can be on the ground in 72 hours.
Please, chip in $6 to the Daily Kos Michigan Recall Fund. Imagine how badly Republicans will freak out when we reach 100% of the signatures required to trigger a recall election.
