§17-5-16. Fraudulent misrepresentation as acting for candidate, etc., prohibited; automated or pre-recorded communications.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person fraudulently to misrepresent himself or herself, or any other person or organization with which he or she is affiliated, as speaking or writing or otherwise acting for or on behalf of any candidate, principal campaign committee, political action committee, or political party, or agent or employee thereof, in a manner which is damaging or is intended to be damaging to such other candidate, principal campaign committee, political action committee, or political party.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any automated or pre-recorded communication initiated, conducted, or transmitted through an automated telephone dialing service to be conducted without providing clear notice at the ending of the phone call that the communication was a paid political advertisement and clearly identifying the person, nonprofit corporation, entity, principal campaign committee, or political action committee that paid for such communication.

(c) It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to knowingly misrepresent, in any automated or pre-recorded communication that is a political advertisement and that is initiated via an automated telephone dialing service, the identification of the person, nonprofit corporation, entity, principal campaign committee, or political action committee that paid for such communication.

(d) The Attorney General of the State of Alabama shall have full power to investigate and enforce violations of this section and any owner, employer, agent, or representative of any automated dialing service found to be in violation of this section shall be guilty upon conviction of a Class A misdemeanor as provided in Section 17-5-19.

(Acts 1988, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 88-873, p. 397, §19; §17-22A-19; amended and renumbered by Act 2006-570, p. 1331, §24; Act 2012-461, p. 1280, §1; Act 2013-311, p. 1060, §1.)