Cody Olson: The Serial TCPA Litigator Who Took on Bernie Sanders and Political Texting
Cody Olson, a Hennepin County, Minnesota resident and serial TCPA litigator, became one of the most recognizable professional plaintiffs in political telemarketing history when he sued the Bernie 2020 presidential campaign over unsolicited text messages. Along with co-plaintiff Jacob Buller, Olson filed a class action alleging that the Sanders campaign sent automated text messages without prior express consent, violating the TCPA.
Olson is not a casual consumer who received a single unwanted text. He is not an occasional filer. He is a serial litigator whose business model depends on extracting statutory damages through high-volume TCPA filings, particularly targeting political campaigns, automated marketing operations, and organizations that purchase voter files containing cell phone numbers never intended for commercial or political solicitation.
Legal commentators, defense firms, and federal courts have taken note of Olson’s litigation activities. He is frequently cited in cases where campaigns claim their texts are “sent by volunteers” (P2P messaging). His litigation helped establish that if a volunteer is simply clicking a button to launch a pre-written message to a list they did not personally create, it may still trigger TCPA liability under certain state and federal interpretations. The evidence confirms an accurate title: an aggressive serial litigator who has made political campaigns and automated marketers his primary targets.
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION: Three Different Cody Olsons
As of May 2026, the name Cody Olson is associated with three completely different people in different legal situations. It is critical to distinguish between them:
| Person | Location | Role | Relevance to TCPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cody Olson (Minnesota) | Hennepin County, MN | Serial TCPA litigator / plaintiff | THIS PROFILE sued Bernie 2020 campaign |
| Cody Olson (Alberta, Canada) | Claresholm/Calgary, AB | Associate attorney at Walsh LLP (commercial law, estates, farming) | NOT a TCPA litigator different person, different country |
| Cody Brian Olson (Texas) | Dallas, TX | Federal criminal defendant (guilty plea 2022) | NOT a TCPA litigator criminal case, unrelated |
This profile focuses exclusively on Cody Olson of Hennepin County, Minnesota, the serial TCPA litigator who sued the Bernie Sanders campaign.
The other Cody Olsons (Canadian attorney and Texas criminal defendant) are completely unrelated individuals who happen to share the same name. They should not be confused with the TCPA serial litigator profiled here.
Who Is Cody Olson (Minnesota)? A Serial TCPA Litigator Targeting Political Campaigns
Cody Olson is a Hennepin County, Minnesota resident and documented serial TCPA litigator who became well known in 2020 for taking on the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Court records confirm that Olson is an active serial plaintiff whose lawsuits focus on unsolicited text message campaigns, automated telemarketing practices, and political campaign communications.
Professional Profile (Minnesota Litigator)
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| Role | Serial TCPA plaintiff / professional litigator |
| Notable case | Buller & Olson v. Bernie 2020 Inc. (2020) |
| Targets | Political campaigns, automated marketing operations, data enrichment firms |
| Legal theory | Political P2P messaging may trigger TCPA liability if volunteers simply click buttons to send pre-written messages |
Documented Filing Pattern
- Unsolicited text message campaigns
- Automated Telephone Dialing System (ATDS) claims
- Prerecorded call violations
- Political campaign communications (P2P messaging challenges)
- Voter file data enrichment claims
- Wrong-number texting liability
- Vendor versus candidate liability disputes
The Landmark Case: Buller & Olson v. Bernie 2020 Inc.
Cody Olson became well known in TCPA litigation circles when he and co-plaintiff Jacob Buller sued the Bernie 2020 presidential campaign in June 2020.
Case Overview
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota |
| Case No. | 20-cv-01368-ECT-TNL |
| Filing Date | June 15, 2020 |
| Plaintiffs | Jacob Buller and Cody Olson |
| Defendant | Bernie 2020 Inc. |
| Judge | Eric C. Tostrud |
| Magistrate Judge | Tony N. Leung |
The Allegations
| Allegation | Details |
|---|---|
| Unsolicited text messages | Plaintiffs received campaign texts inviting them to watch a Bernie Sanders advertisement |
| No consent | Plaintiffs alleged they never consented to receive the texts |
| ATDS usage | The texts were allegedly sent using automated dialing technology |
| Generic messaging | The messages were standardized except for the recipient’s first name |
Strategic Venue Selection
Plaintiffs were believed to be seeking a favorable ATDS interpretation already recognized within the District of Minnesota following related political campaign litigation.
The complaint referenced prior rulings suggesting that equipment capable of generating and dialing numbers without human intervention could qualify as an ATDS even if the numbers came from stored lists instead of random generation.
As defense-side commentary noted, presidential campaigns quickly became major TCPA targets during the 2020 election cycle.
The Political Campaign Connection: Buller & Olson
Notably, Cody Olson was not the only Olson involved in political campaign TCPA litigation during the 2020 election cycle. The Trump campaign was sued by Connor Olson in a separate TCPA case brought by the same law firm.
| Plaintiff | Campaign | Counsel |
|---|---|---|
| Cody Olson & Jacob Buller | Bernie 2020 Inc. | Same counsel as Trump case |
| Connor Olson | Trump campaign | Same counsel as Bernie case |
The overlap suggested a coordinated litigation strategy targeting presidential campaigns across party lines.
The “Volunteer P2P” Loophole Challenge
In 2026, Cody Olson was frequently cited in litigation involving political peer-to-peer texting systems.
Olson’s Core Legal Theory
| Campaign Defense | Olson’s Position |
|---|---|
| Texts were manually sent by volunteers | Volunteers merely clicked buttons to send pre-written scripts |
| Human intervention defeats TCPA liability | Pre-built systems and scripts may still qualify as regulated technology |
| P2P systems are exempt | Large-scale coordinated messaging can still create liability |
Why This Matters
Political campaigns historically relied on volunteer-driven P2P messaging to avoid TCPA scrutiny. Olson’s litigation challenged that assumption by arguing that mass-texting platforms remain functionally automated even when volunteers press “send.”
His cases helped place political campaigns under greater compliance pressure regarding consent, texting workflows, and message automation.
The “Source of Data” Expansion (2026)
By early 2026, Olson’s litigation expanded into challenges involving voter file sourcing and data enrichment practices.
Key Issues Raised
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Voter file purchases | Campaigns purchase large databases containing voter information |
| Appended cell numbers | Third-party vendors enrich records by adding mobile numbers |
| Lack of consent | Recipients often never consented to political text outreach |
| DNC implications | Non-commercial entities increasingly face TCPA and DNC scrutiny |
Olson’s recent litigation activity shows a pattern of targeting the data ecosystem behind political messaging rather than only the messaging itself.
Olson v. Grassroots Targeting, LLC (2025)
In 2025, Cody Olson sued Grassroots Targeting, LLC, a political consulting firm involved in campaign texting operations.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Grassroots Targeting, LLC |
| Issue | Wrong-number political text messages |
| Central question | Whether the vendor or candidate bears TCPA liability |
| Outcome | Settled in mid-2025 |
The case focused heavily on vendor responsibility for texts sent to individuals who allegedly never opted in.
Political Campaigns as TCPA Targets
The 2020 election cycle produced a major increase in TCPA lawsuits against political campaigns.
| Campaign | Plaintiff | Key Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Trump campaign | Connor Olson | ATDS and political texting |
| Bernie 2020 campaign | Cody Olson & Jacob Buller | Automated political texts |
| Additional campaigns | Multiple plaintiffs | Consent and texting compliance |
The litigation wave demonstrated that TCPA enforcement efforts targeted campaigns across the political spectrum.
Litigation Pattern: SMS, Political Messaging, and Data Enrichment
Olson’s litigation model centers on three major areas:
| Target Area | Litigation Focus |
|---|---|
| SMS marketing | Automated mass-texting systems |
| Political campaigns | P2P volunteer messaging |
| Data enrichment firms | Appending mobile numbers without consent |
The “Wrong Number” Theory
A recurring theme in Olson’s cases is liability for messages sent to individuals who never opted in and whose numbers were allegedly acquired through data enrichment processes.
How Olson Compares to Other Serial Litigators
| Comparison | Cody Olson (MN) | Stewart Abramson | Andrew Perrong | Stanley Hastings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary venue | District of Minnesota | Western District of Pennsylvania | Eastern District of Pennsylvania | Eastern District of Arkansas |
| Target industry | Political campaigns | Energy and solar | Lead generation | Lead generation |
| Signature tactic | Voter file challenges | DNC stacking | TCPA class actions | Fake identities |
| P2P litigation focus | Yes | No | No | No |
| Data enrichment claims | Yes | No | No | No |
What makes Olson unique is his focus on political communications and voter file sourcing rather than traditional robocall campaigns.
The Other Cody Olsons (Not Related)
Cody Olson (Alberta, Canada)
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Alberta, Canada |
| Firm | Walsh LLP |
| Practice areas | Business law, estates, farming matters |
| International work | Experience in Doha, Qatar |
This Cody Olson is not connected to TCPA litigation.
Cody Brian Olson (Texas)
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| Case | Federal criminal proceedings |
| Status | Guilty plea entered in 2022 |
This individual is also unrelated to TCPA litigation.
What the Olson Cases Mean for Political Campaigns
The Olson litigation series provides major compliance lessons for campaigns, consultants, and data firms.
| Lesson | Practical Impact |
|---|---|
| Volunteer status is not absolute protection | Human clicking may not eliminate TCPA exposure |
| Voter files are not consent records | Possessing a number does not create texting permission |
| Data enrichment creates exposure | Appending numbers without consent may trigger liability |
| Consultants face direct risk | Vendors can be independently sued |
| Candidates face direct risk | Campaigns cannot fully outsource liability |
| Wrong-number texting matters | Mistargeted texts can create TCPA claims |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cody Olson a serial TCPA litigator?
Yes. Court records and legal commentary identify Cody Olson of Minnesota as a serial TCPA plaintiff involved in multiple political messaging and texting disputes.
What is Cody Olson best known for?
He is best known for suing the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign over unsolicited political text messages.
Are there multiple people named Cody Olson?
Yes. There is also a Canadian attorney named Cody Olson and a separate federal criminal defendant in Texas with the same name. They are unrelated individuals.
What was the Bernie 2020 case about?
The plaintiffs alleged the campaign sent automated text messages without prior express consent in violation of the TCPA.
What is the “volunteer P2P” issue?
Campaigns argued volunteers manually sent texts, while Olson argued volunteers were simply operating large-scale scripted messaging systems that could still trigger TCPA liability.
What are voter file data enrichment claims?
These claims involve allegations that third-party firms appended mobile numbers to voter databases without consent.
What was the Grassroots Targeting case?
Olson sued the consulting firm over alleged wrong-number political texts. The matter settled in 2025.
Is Cody Olson an attorney?
The public record does not clearly establish whether Minnesota Cody Olson is a licensed attorney. The Canadian Cody Olson is a lawyer, but he is a different person.
Is Olson helping consumers?
That depends on perspective. Supporters argue his cases improve political texting compliance, while critics view the lawsuits as profit-driven TCPA enforcement.
Final Thoughts: The Serial Litigator Who Took on Presidential Politics
Cody Olson of Hennepin County, Minnesota is not an occasional TCPA filer. He is a documented serial litigator who has focused heavily on political campaigns, voter file sourcing, automated messaging systems, and data enrichment practices.
His lawsuit against the Bernie Sanders campaign helped push political texting operations into the TCPA spotlight. His litigation challenged the assumption that volunteer-driven texting systems automatically avoid liability. And his focus on voter data sourcing opened an entirely new area of scrutiny involving appended mobile numbers and consent practices.
The contrast with more extreme serial litigators remains notable:
| Abusive Serial Litigators | Cody Olson (MN) |
|---|---|
| Used fake identities | Uses real identity |
| Criminal allegations | No known criminal history |
| Fraud accusations | No fraud counterclaims |
| Deceptive filings | No admissions of deception |
But Olson remains a serial litigator. He targets political campaigns. He challenges mass-texting systems. He focuses on data enrichment practices. And his cases have influenced how courts, campaigns, consultants, and vendors analyze political TCPA exposure.
The serial litigator from Minnesota took on presidential campaigns and helped reshape the legal debate surrounding political texting compliance.
Sources & References
Primary Sources – Cody Olson Litigation
- https://tcpaworld.com/2020/06/16/sanders-campaign-now-also-a-tcpa-target/
- Jacob Buller and Cody Olson v. Bernie 2020 Inc., Case No. 20-cv-01368-ECT-TNL (D. Minn.)
- https://dn710200.ca.archive.org/0/items/gov.uscourts.mnd.188215/gov.uscourts.mnd.188215.1.0.pdf
Secondary Sources
- Related Trump campaign TCPA litigation
- Olson v. Grassroots Targeting, LLC (2025 settlement)
Distinction Sources – Other Cody Olsons
- https://www.walshlaw.ca/lawyers/cody-olson/
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-txnd-3_21-cr-00542/pdf/USCOURTS-txnd-3_21-cr-00542-1.pdf
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available court filings, legal commentary, judicial rulings, and media reporting. The characterization of Cody Olson (Minnesota) as a serial TCPA litigator and professional plaintiff is based on documented litigation activity involving political campaigns and related TCPA claims. This profile concerns only the Minnesota Cody Olson associated with TCPA litigation. The Canadian attorney and Texas criminal defendant referenced above are unrelated individuals with no connection to the litigation discussed in this article.
