Oregon Public Broadcasting

Multnomah County circuit court Judge Janice Wilson brought the political career of anti-tax activist, Bill Sizemore, to a new low Monday.

Judge Janice Wilson: “So ordered this first day of December, 2008. Deputies would you please bring Mr. Sizemore to the jail....”

Sizemore will likely get out of jail Tuesday, assuming he signs the tax documents the judge ordered him to sign.

Rob Manning was in the courtroom when Sizemore's judgement was rendered and filed this report.

Bill Sizemore

Bill Sizemore has authored dozens of initiative petitions in the last seven years, including five that reached last month’s Oregon ballot.

Over the same time period, Sizemore has defended himself from accusations of financial impropriety. He's created a network of non-profits and consulting companies that now appear to have concealed a money trail.

Sizemore essentially went to jail  for not providing a map to that trail. He hasn’t submitted required tax forms -- even after he told Judge Wilson he would, in October.

After Sizemore was hauled off in handcuffs, Judge Wilson told Sizemore’s attorney that getting out of jail was up to him. She said she wouldn't wait for the information to be verified.

Judge Janice Wilson: “No. They’re signed by him, and filed, I’ll release him.” 

Earlier this year, state justice officials say that Sizemore was reluctant to provide the documents -- because he didn’t want to incriminate himself.

At issue is whether Sizemore has been illegally avoiding a court ordered judgment of more than $3 million he owes the teachers’ unions - and whether he has violated court injunctions in the process.

Judge Janice Wilson: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first, we practice to deceive.”

That was the prelude to Judge Wilson’s two-hour summary of Sizemore’s non-profits, consulting companies, donors, and political campaigns.

Sizemore says that the non-profits involved, including the American Taxpayers Research Foundation, were think tanks controlled by other people. But  Wilson didn’t find any of the alleged board members of ATRF at all convincing. And she didn't see much evidence of anything other than political activity, and personal benefit for Sizemore.

Judge Janice Wilson: “The inescapable conclusion is that ATRF was a sham charitable organization set up to pass money provided by Loren Parks and Dick Wendt to compensate Mr. Sizemore for his work on initiatives.”

Wilson says in addition, Sizemore’s network allowed southern Oregon businessman, Dick Wendt, to contribute to Sizemore’s political campaigns, while calling it ‘consulting.’

She says retired Nevada businessman, Loren Parks was an even worse offender.

Judge Janice Wilson: “The arrangement potentially provided a tax exemption for the donors - especially Mr. Parks, and his organizations. A mechanism for Loren Parks, and the Parks Foundation, to violate the injunction against them -- in state of Oregon vs. Parks Foundation et al -- without easy detection.”

Wilson painted a picture of Sizemore as a man going to absurd lengths to conceal his finances. For instance, Sizemore took boxes of documents from his American Taxpayer Research Foundation to  his colleague Tim Rohrer.

Wilson says Sizemore wanted to keep them from the unions.

Judge Janice Wilson: “Mr. Sizemore was anxious to keep the records of ATRF out of plaintiffs’ hands. He turned them over to Mr. Rohrer, and drove with Mr. Rohrer to take the records to Nevada. When he was asked to provide ATRF's records, in this contempt proceeding, Mr. Sizemore took the position that he did not have them in his custody or control.”

After all that hiding of money -- both on paper and in boxes sent to Nevada -- Sizemore now appears to be beginning to come clean. But that doesn’t end things.

Judge Wilson suggested criminal charges may follow. Jake Weigler from the Oregon Department of Justice says before that happens, the agency has another step it wants to take.

Jake Weigler: “At this point, Mr. Sizemore has been given several opportunities to comply with the injunction that he’s agreed to and failed to do so. So at this point, we’re considering asking the court to ban his participation in non-profit entities, given his inability to comply with the laws in this area.”

Sizemore’s attorney declined to comment after the court proceedings.

What's still undetermined after all these court appearances is how much money Sizemore owes the teachers unions. That will be hashed out in court in the coming weeks.