Recent Activity (2025–2026)
- New Washington telemarketing litigation in 2026
In January 2026, Barton filed a case against Fast and Easy Marketing and related defendants. According to reporting on the case, he is attempting to pursue not only TCPA damages but also additional remedies under Washington state statutes that could potentially increase the value of claims beyond the traditional TCPA statutory damages. - Large default judgment reported in 2025
A July 2025 report discussed Barton obtaining a default judgment exceeding $130,000 in a Washington telemarketing case involving alleged unwanted calls. The article noted the increasing size of default judgments in some telemarketing litigation. - Continuing litigation against Joe Delfgauw and related entities
The long-running dispute between Barton and telemarketer/business owner Joe Delfgauw continued into 2025. Court filings and legal commentary indicate that the litigation remains active and contentious, with both sides accusing the other of improper conduct.
Background on Barton’s Litigation History
Barton has been described by multiple courts and commentators as a high-volume or serial TCPA litigant. Federal court records show he has filed numerous TCPA actions in Washington and elsewhere.
Some notable prior developments include:
A 2022 attorney-fee award of $40,000 against Barton in the LeadPoint litigation after the district court found his claims problematic.
The Ninth Circuit later reversed portions of that sanctions-related outcome, stating that being a frequent TCPA litigant by itself was not evidence of bad faith.
Barton has also obtained successful judgments in some TCPA cases, including a Ninth Circuit decision involving prerecorded calls and Do-Not-Call violations.
As of June 2026
The newest publicly reported development I found is the January 2026 Washington case where Barton appears to be pursuing expanded state-law theories in addition to TCPA claims. I did not find evidence of a new arrest, bankruptcy filing, or major property acquisition in the recent materials I reviewed.