Intellectual Property Law

It's not a great time to be named Lamont Williams.

Not That Robocall Guy: Stage actor Lamont Williams says he's got nothing to do with WVWV's automated calls to North Carolina voters.
Courtesy Lamont Williams

Lamont Williams, an actor and vice president at the theater company StageNorfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, says that he's received several calls in the past few months regarding voter registration issues.

So far, he's received two calls this week. And it's only Monday.

"I have nothing to do with politics," he says. "My understanding is this (voter registration) effort is legitimate, but it's got nothing to do with me."

The callers typically say things like: "Hey, listen, I got a call from you -- I need to talk to you about this voter registration packet," Williams says.

Williams says that the calls started "a couple of months ago."

"Lamont Williams" is the name given in thousands of automated phone calls placed to African-American men by the non-profit group Women's Voices, Women Vote. The recorded calls told voters to expect  a voter-registration packet in the mail, and urged them to sign and return the paperwork "so your voice can be heard."

The robocalls, which didn't identify the group, and came with Caller ID blocked, have raised accusations of voter suppression in North Carolina, in part because they were made to already-registered voters, and took placed after the deadline for mail-in registration for Tuesday's primary. WVWV says the calls were intended to register voters for the generation election six months from now.

Asked who Lamont Williams is, WVWV  told a Daily Kos blogger that Williams is the real name of the voice actor used in the 20-second recording. But so far, nobody's found voice talent by that name.

In the quest to unmask the "real" Lamont Williams, bloggers have scoured the internet trying to roust out the mysterious persona.

"I found out from my president and CEO that people have been Googling my name and getting to my theater company page," Williams says. "And then he Googled me, and found out about this incident as we spoke on the phone."

It seems like an unfortunate bother, but Williams is unperturbed.

"It hasn't reached epidemic proportions," he said. "I'm a patient kind of guy -- it takes a lot to get on my nerves."

See Also:

• Will the Real Lamont Williams Please Stand Up? -- Update
• Washington, DC, Group Accused of High-Tech Dirty Tricks to ...
• Group Behind Misleading Robo-Calls to Voters Answers Some ...