Ala. Judge Roy Moore Of Ten Commandments Fame: Legal Fund Says Ohio Telemarketer Kept Millions

AKRON (TDB) -- The Foundation For Moral Law fronted by former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has filed a lawsuit in Ohio federal court contending an Akron telemarketing firm improperly solicited potential donors nationwide, The Daily Bellwether has learned. The lawsuit alleges the telemarketer "did not turn any of more than $2.3 million raised" over to the foundation, which supports keeping religious symbols in public places. The lawsuit claims that InfoCision Management Corp. was originally hired to help raise funds for Moore's legal defense fund in 2003.

Moore became nationally notorious after he installed a display of the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Supreme Court and promised to wage a legal battle to keep monument in place. A federal judge ordered the display removed, Moore objected and lost his office in the dispute. He has since become a figure of some import on the religious right.

The case is Foundation for Moral Law Inc. vs InfoCision Management Corp, No. 5:07 cv 3121 U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. The Foundation, which is headquartered in Montgomery, Al., contends that donors were not supposed to be called more than twice "to avoid 'donor burnout' or otherwise annoying or overzealous 'spoiling of plaintiff's donor base."

Infocision has not yet responded to the lawsuit. Court records show the company was recently served with the complaint. The foundation contends the terms of its contract were violated.

"InfoCision's calling records disclose that out of a total of 63,725 of plaintiff's donors, InfoCision has called 9,602 of those donors more than twice and raised from those recalls $239,031.85. In fact, InfoCisiion called 5,372 donors three times, 3,642 donors were called four times, and 588 donors were called five times. During the weekly updates on InfoCision progress, InfoCision reported amounts pledged and amounts received. The last reported "Acquisition Total" on October 28, 2005, stated amounts pledged at $3,627,477 with $2,333,063 actually collected by InfoCision."

The lawsuit states that the defendants "placed telephone calls to plaintiff's donor base and others for the sole purpose of obtaining money under the guise of benefiting plaintiff when in fact InfoCision had no intention of and did not turn any of more than $2.3 million dollars raised over to plaintiff."