Oregon Public Broadcasting

Thursday, Oregon's Supreme Court ruled that anti-tax activist Bill Sizemore's organization used forged signatures to get two initiatives on the ballot in 2000.

The court upheld an earlier ruling that Sizemore had broken state racketeering laws, and that his group must repay political opponents $2.5 million. Ethan Lindsey reports.

For years, Bill Sizemore made his name by getting a bunch of hot-button issues on the Oregon ballot - and winning.

The lawsuit stems from 2000, when Sizemore got two initiatives on the ballot that would have limited unions from collecting dues.

Both ballot measures failed.

Then, unrelated to the ballot outcomes, the teachers' unions sued.

Sizemore, despite having lost several rounds in court, still insists he did nothing wrong.

Thursday the state supreme court affirmed an earlier ruling that his nonprofit forged signatures and misused campaign contributions, and ordered Sizemore's group to compensate the unions.

Now, the unions say they will go back to court because Sizemore's group doesn't have the money.

Becca Uherbelau is a spokeswoman for the teachers' union, the Oregon Education Association.

Becca Uherbelau: “The sham charity that was headed by Bill Sizemore no longer exists, and we certainly will actively pursue Bill Sizemore's personal liability.”

A union lawyer says the next court battle will be over whether Sizemore should pay out of his own pocket, if his nonprofit cannot.

Sizemore says the unions are actually after something else.

Bill Sizemore: “Now, legally, we are just going to be playing defense. The unions are suing me and Oregon Taxpayers United for one reason: to keep me from putting measures on the ballot, and that's a game they are not going to win.”

Spokeswoman Becca Uherbelau says the teachers' union will certainly talk about this case in the upcoming election.

Becca Uherbelau: “Oregonians should be very suspicious of anything Bill Sizemore puts on the ballot, considering his history of fraud and forgery of the initiative system. And we will take every opportunity to point that out.”

Bill Sizemore: “They'll probably use it against me, but it's been my experience that voters vote for things they like and don't vote for things they don't like. And they don't care who's behind them, they care about the idea."

November will be a good test case. Sizemore has lined up four ballot measures to be voted on in November, including one anti-union initiative. Plus, the state is reviewing the signatures for an additional measure that would allow merit pay for teachers.