Robocall wars

We all agree on this

Lots to tell you. All good stuff.

Let’s start here:

---

Robocall crackdown

When I became AG, I told my team we were going to get more aggressive on robocalls.

Why?

Because you told me to.

Everybody hates these things, and we’re getting more than ever. NC is a top five state for robocalls. We get about 200 million a month. It’s absurd.

So we’ve broadened our target list. We’ll still go after the folks making the robocalls, but now we’ve added the telecom companies that are patching them through.

Here’s why:

The average call to you passes through about six telecom companies - the last one being the one that sends you a bill each month. Each company in this chain has a legal obligation to help block illegal robocalls.

But some of them look the other way to make a few extra bucks.

So we just sent formal notice to 37 of those middleman companies. They’ve got three weeks to clean up their act.

Here’s the video I posted calling them out by name:

They say that we’ve never been more politically divided than we are today, but when it comes to robocalls, we all pretty much agree: the fewer, the better.

More from that battlefront soon.

New York Times profile

Two months ago, The New York Times sent a reporter and photographer to spend the day with me. They sat in on meetings, traveled with me around town, and did a long interview in my office.

Honestly, it was less awkward than I expected. You’d be amazed how quickly you forget there’s a reporter in the room - which is exactly what they’re hoping for. The only reminder came from the photographer, as he jostled around and snapped a thousand photos.

Now the article’s out, and here’s a gift link to it:

Credit: Cornell Watson for The New York Times

The piece turned out well because our team at NCDOJ is so strong. I’m proud to be part of it, but I’m not most of it. We’ve just got some great people working here, and I’m grateful for them.

And… he hit the shot

For some of you, I’m burying the lede.

In the last email, I left you with a brutal cliffhanger. Presented with a photo of me uneasily about to shoot a basketball, I asked you to place your bets (by way of contribution to our Lighthouse Fund) about whether I nailed it… or whether I air-balled.

Well, here’s the proof:

In case your computer doesn’t like GIFs, it shows me making the shot. Believe me, I was as surprised as anyone.

For the record, roughly 88% of you guessed correctly.

And for the 12% who thought I missed it, hey, I get it. A sensible bet.

If you missed your chance to bet but can still make a small contribution, that’s very kind. You can do that here (ActBlue) or here (non-ActBlue).

Best,

Jeff