West Virginia Lawmakers Accuse Family Policy Council of “Intimidation”

Two West Virginia lawmakers, House Judiciary Chairwoman Carrie Webster and Monongalia County Delegate Barbara Fleischauer say they are being targeted by a telemarketing campaign paid for by the Family Policy Council of West Virginia that is designed to “intimidate” them. Webster and the ACLU are also questioning who is really picking up the tab for the phone calls, saying that out-of-state special-interest groups often fund such campaigns. This week, residents in West Virginia began receiving telemarketer-type calls from a firm representing the Family Policy Council of West Virginia. The telemarketing firm tells call recipients the two lawmakers are blocking a ban on gay marriage and if the calls recipients chooses, the firm then forwards their call through to Webster’s or Fleischauer’s office so they can to express their views on gay marriage. “They call my staff idiots. They call my staff God-haters,” Webster said. “I believe people should be able to exercise their free speech, but I do think it’s a manipulation.” Last week, state senators passed a bill that would add sexual orientation to West Virginia’s civil rights laws. Webster says believes the phone campaign is related to that bill. “I think the objective has been to make sure that we don’t protect gays in employment and in housing,” Webster said.