Oregon’s Bill Sizemore Busted!!!

Woooo Hoooo!!  Most locations have a single Repuglican, who is so offensive in every thing he does, that the mere mention of his name brings bile to the back of our throats!  Here in Oregon, it’s Bill Sizemore.  Bill is a champion for redistribution of the wealth to the very rich through ballot measures that sound deceptively populist.  Through heavy spending by billionaire backers, he has actually managed to pass several of them.

Conservative initiative activist and Oregon gubernatorial candidate Bill Sizemore has been indicted for tax evasion, the state Department of Justice announced Monday

The grand jury indictment, unsealed last week and made public Monday, resulted from charges filed against Sizemore, 58, and his wife, Cindy Sizemore, 49, both residents of Eagle Crest in Central Oregon. Lawyers for the state allege the Sizemores failed to file tax returns for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. Bill Sizemore on Monday admitted he had not filed the returns, but said he intends eventually to file them.

The Sizemores are scheduled for a Dec. 7 arraignment in Marion County Circuit Court. Personal income tax evasion is a class C felony. For each of the three counts, the Sizemores, if found guilty, face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $125,000, not counting the obligation to pay past due taxes plus interest and penalties.

The criminal allegations are the latest in a series of legal woes for Sizemore dating back to 2002, when two Oregon-based teachers unions sued the initiative activist. A jury that year found him in violation of Oregon’s racketeering law, awarding $2.5 million to the unions for what the judge termed a “sham charity” that Sizemore used “for his own personal gain.”

Bill Sizemore said in a telephone interview that he and his wife would both plea not guilty to the tax-evasion charges. He said the couple had estimated their taxes and paid them to the state and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for 2006 and 2007 and intended to do so later this year for 2008. He said they did not file federal or state income tax returns out of concern that the teachers unions that had sued him would access the documents through court order, and possibly use them to bring additional litigation against him and his wife.

“I don’t want to give a copy of my personal tax return to my worst political enemy,” Sizemore said. “They have no right to see them.”

Sizemore said that he intends eventually, when his legal conflicts with the unions are settled, to file tax returns for the years in question. On Monday he did not provide details about how many estimated tax payments he had made, or when he made them.

Sizemore was ordered by a court in early 2009 to make his tax returns available to the unions that won the $2.5 million judgment against him.

Sizemore made his biggest political marks with initiatives in the 1990s aimed at reducing taxes and curbing public employee benefits. He was nominated by Republicans as their candidate to challenge Democratic incumbent Gov. John Kitz­haber, who won by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Court rulings against him have sought to curb Sizemore’s ability to raise and spend money for political purposes. A judge has barred him from political fundraising for five years. Still, that didn’t stop Sizemore last week from declaring he’s running for governor. He has said he will challenge the fundraising ban as a violation of his rights. When he joined the gubernatorial race, he said, “I may have to run my campaign from inside a jail cell,” given his legal woes.

While Sizemore acknowledged Monday that he did not file federal tax returns for three years, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service would not say whether it was pursuing legal action.

“The IRS does not confirm or deny an ongoing investigation or audit,” spokesman Bill Brunson said.

Sean Riddell, chief of Oregon’s Criminal Justice Division, said the investigation into the Sizemore’s alleged tax evasion began in April, which was before the Legislature passed the law creating the amnesty program for people and businesses who have past-due taxes. Those who filed by Nov. 19 could qualify for a waiver of penalties and part of the interest owed.

Riddell said it was possible the Sizemores would have qualified for amnesty on their past-due tax returns. Because of this, the grand jury’s Oct. 27 indictments remained under seal until after the tax amnesty period ended. The Sizemores did not apply for amnesty, leaving them without that possible protection against tax-evasion charges… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Eugene Register Guard>

Tomorrow I’ll be heading down to the prison to do volunteer work there.  I know Bill won’t be there yet, but hopefully, I’ll get to see him there before too long!