Sizemore in violation of court order, OEA claims

The Oregonian reported last week that the Oregon Education Association has filed a motion claiming that Bill Sizemore has violated a 2003 injunction limiting the scope and nature of his political activities.

Sizemore, who was being paid $7500 per month to add content to the web site for American Tax Research Foundation, is not permitted to accept money to work on Initiative Petitioning in Oregon. He has filed more than 25 ballot initiatives in the last 2 years.

The motion for contempt quotes Sizemore as saying he did research and consulting work for his wife Cindy's business, CBS Consulting, by providing content for ATRF's website. In return for that work, ATRF paid $7,500 per month to CBS Consulting, plus it paid for one year of rental of the Sizemores' home at $2,500 a month, the motion said.

Sizemore said Tuesday that ATRF's payments to CBS Consulting ended in late 2007 or early 2008, adding that the payments were for the website work. He has filed dozens of proposed initiatives for this year's November ballot, but he said the money had nothing to do with his initiative work.

The contempt claim is the latest chapter in a legal battle that started in 2000 when the unions sued Sizemore's Oregon Taxpayers United organizations, alleging illegal actions including filing false campaign finance reports and forging signatures. A jury verdict, with tripled damages due to state racketeering laws, awarded a $2.5 million judgment to the unions. Portions of the case remain on appeal in the courts.