Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sizemore tells judge he’s broke and needs a lawyer to defend him against tax evasion charges
OregonLive.com: Bill Sizemore says he's broke. The conservative political activist says he barely has $100 in the bank, is working for $10 an hour planting trees and clearing brush, and makes barely enough to buy groceries. The Republican candidate for governor says he's so poor he can't afford an attorney to help defend him against felony charges of tax evasion. Now he has one. Marion County Circuit Judge Claudia Burton on Wednesday approved a court-appointed attorney for Sizemore, who until now has represented himself in court.
In December, state prosecutors unsealed indictments against Sizemore and his wife, Cindy, on three counts each of tax evasion accusing him of failing to file state tax returns for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Bill and Cindy Sizemore face up to five years each in prison and a $125,000 fine for each count. Aside from criminal charges, the couple also could owe back taxes and penalties. During those years, Sizemore collected as much as $700,000 from a nonprofit organization Sizemore controlled, the American Tax Research Foundation, records in a separate civil case against Sizemore show. The records show Sizemore paid himself directly and used the organization's money to cover family expenses, including private school tuition for his son, braces for his daughter and a car for his wife.
Sizemore admits not filing tax returns and said Wednesday that he still hasn't. He claims he paid an estimated $50,000 in state and federal taxes during those years, proof he wasn't trying to evade his taxes. For about 25 minutes, Sizemore answered questions from the judge and the prosecutor, Senior Assistant Attorney General Andrew D. Campbell, about his income and his assets. Sizemore testified that he's living for free at a friend's house and that he hasn't earned a salary in the past 14 months. The last salary he's received, Sizemore said, was $4,000 from Oregon Taxpayers United, one of his political organizations.
"Who made the decision to pay you?" Campbell asked. "I did," Sizemore said.
To read more, click here.
Comments
