AG Bob Ferguson sabotages my defense, blocks my witnesses, delays trial
Just when you thought AG Bob Ferguson couldn’t get any sleazier, he gets sleazier.
It’s been 8 long, brutal years of investigation, litigation, and persecution of me and my family. The AG has repeatedly delayed the trial date: from Nov 2018, to Jan 2020, to July 2020, but it finally got locked into this week.
But today he completely and purposely sabotaged my defense and blocked my witnesses and delayed the trial.
And it was totally planned.
Thanks to all of you and your heartfelt prayers and financial support, today I was finally going to get my day in court. A time where my brilliant attorney Richard Sanders would defend me and highlight the fatal flaws in the AG’s case (“The AG’s case is an elaborate hoax” https://permanentoffense.com/the-ags-case-against-me-is-an-elaborate-hoax-heres-how-its-fundamentally-flawed/).
It was a 4 day trial.
Mon and Tues, they go.
Wed and Thurs, we go.
Today was to be our first day. We had witnesses lined up who’d show the judge their checks — made payable to “Tim Eyman” or “Tim Eyman & Family” or “Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund” — and testify that none of them were political donations — they were giving to help me and my family survive the AG’s persecution.
Sid Maietto made his intention clear on his check:
But the AG claims that Sid’s $25 was actually a political donation. Sid was going to make it very clear today that it wasn’t.
Erma Turner was going to testify that having her support for me mischaracterized by the AG was deeply offensive to her:
Others were ready to testify too.
They’d also reveal and verify that folks who helped my family received a letter that made things abundantly clear (PermanentOffense.com/ExhibitFShattersAGsCaseAgainstMe).
Dear Loyal Friend:
Thank you again for your personal financial gift to me and my family. I am deeply grateful for your help.
I am very passionate and deeply committed to my work but ensuring that my wife and three kids are provided for is critically important to me. Your gift really helped us out during this difficult financial time for us.
My accountant has advised me that this needs to be made very clear: if you believed your financial support was for compensation for my work on initiatives, IT IS NOT. This was a humbling request for a personal gift for me and my family and I sincerely appreciate you responding. And as a gift, there are no paperwork requirements or tax implications for either of us (no W2’s, W9’s, 1099’s etc. – none are necessary). Please let me know if you misunderstood and thought this was for compensation for political activity or action and I will immediately refund your payment.
Thanks again for being there for me and my family during this challenging time. I sincerely appreciate your friendship.
The AG keeps saying — and the media keeps repeating it — that I “took” $766,000 from my supporters and diverted their “political donations” into my personal bank account.
It’s not true — it was never true.
And these witnesses were going to prove today that Bob Ferguson has been lying about me.
And he knew that.
And that’s why at 8:30am this morning, the AG emailed the judge and claimed that the AG’s witness — the one who Richard Sanders was grilling yesterday and who was going to be grilled again this morning — was “displaying cold symptoms last night that might be COVID.” And that until this person was tested, they weren’t “comfortable” continuing the case.
The judge, without requiring any corroboration or proof from the AG, agreed to suspend the trial.
This throws a huge monkey wrench into the whole thing.
All the attorneys, witnesses, and the entire court system had oriented their schedules for this 4-day trial. The judge made it clear he had a planned vacation in early December. He said he’d check back with everyone next week (after the witness supposedly gets tested) to see how everyone’s availability is.
The AG had 6 witnesses. All day Monday and almost all of Tuesday, the AG only took testimony from one witness. They went excruciatingly slow. When it was finally Richard Sanders’ chance to cross exam the witness, the AG stalled, asking the judge to move the monitor. After Richard asked a couple of questions, the AG asked that Richard’s speaking podium be moved. That caused a 20 minute recess (when someone finally showed up to move it, the podium easily rolled 2 feet to the left). Once Richard finally got going, there wasn’t much time left. Even so, he scored huge points getting the AG’s witness to admit:
* that I, Tim Eyman, was never the committee’s treasurer (Stan Long was the treasurer and he was a CPA, attorney, and former IRS investigator).
* The AG never “got around to” interviewing Stan, they only targeted me.
* In past cases, the AG has consistently held the treasurer responsible for alleged reporting violations.
Richard was firing on all pistons at this point.
But when the clock hit 4:50pm, the judge said the trial was done for the day.
But then, in open court, the AG asked the judge to ask Richard for an estimate for how much longer his cross examination of the AG’s witness was going to go.
“An hour” Richard responded.
So the AG knew their witness was going to have to face Richard again for another hour this morning.
And the AG knew our witnesses were coming down to testify.
And then suddenly … POOF … the AG’s witness “might” have cold symptoms and “might” have COVID.
Total farce.
The AG got their 2 days and robbed me of my defense and blocked my witnesses.
Fascism.
AG Bob Ferguson never thought I’d make it to trial.
He always thought I’d eventually “break” and give up.
Most importantly, he counted on me running out of money.
I about have.
Since filing for bankruptcy in November 2018, I’ve been asking folks to donate to my legal defense fund so I can pay the massive costs resulting from the AG’s persecution. I must pay:
* $10,000 every month into an account in case the AG gets a judgement against me
* $1456.02 every month to my previous attorneys.
* Around $5000 every month to print up and mail out a letter asking folks to donate.
* The staggeringly high legal fees for all the lawyers who are helping me (Richard, for example).
We’ve tried to sell our house but the AG is obstructing that too.
As of today, the balance in my legal defense fund is $5,373.27
As of today, the balance in my personal bank account is $34,176.31 (that’s how much I have to live on and take care of my family).
I am so grateful to the thousands of friends who have helped me and my family make it this far.
The AG’s purposeful sabotage of my defense and his intentional delay in the trial shows how desperate he is, how weak his case is, and how afraid of Richard Sanders he is.
I really need your help to survive this. If they take me out, who will dare challenge them? I am so incredibly grateful for your prayers and support during this very difficult time for me and my family.
Please help by donating to my legal defense fund here:
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/timdefense
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/tim-eyman-legal-defense-fund/donate
Mail-in donation: Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund, 500 106th Ave NE #709, Bellevue, WA, 98004
In addition, we’re still working really hard to deliver $30 Tabs.
We’re asking folks to donate to our PAC so we can get paid back. Also, donations to our PAC will pay for attorney Stephen Pidgeon’s “Motion for Reconsideration.” Please help these efforts by donating online:
Credit card/Paypal: permanentoffense.com/donate
Mail-in donation:
Permanent Offense
PO Box 6151
Olympia, WA, 98507
Thanks everyone.
I love you all.
Tim
