A federal judge ruled last week a Mustang resident and former state lawmaker Tim Pope’s automated phone calls in opposition to an Oklahoma County commissioner were illegal. A civil lawsuit filed in federal court last May by the Oklahoma attorney general said Pope, who works as a political consultant, violated federal law regarding unsolicited calls placed to Oklahomans and may be liable for up to $10 million. The fines could be penalty for Pope’s not abiding by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act when he paid for placement of about 20,000 calls to Oklahoma County residents in opposition to Oklahoma County Commissioner Jim Roth in January 2006. Charlie Price, spokesman for Attorney General Drew Edmondson, said the office filed the lawsuit after receiving about 11 complaints. Pope has said he paid for the calls but maintains he did nothing wrong. The statute allows Edmondson’s office to seek a fine of $500 per violation, Price said, adding the attorney general is seeking to permanently stop Pope from future violations of the TCPA.