Read Richard Sanders’ public statement on my appeal.

I’m very grateful to Richard Sanders for taking my case.

Because of the AG’s bullying of my previous attorney, I was forced to defend myself for nearly 9 months.

Without representation, I lost motion after motion because I didn’t know what I was doing.

I asked many, many lawyers to represent me and none of them would.

The reason?

Because of Fascist Fergie’s bullying tactics.

But Richard did.

And he has done (and is doing) a fantastic job standing up to Bully Bob and fighting back against the AG’s ridiculously unconstitutional rulings.

Last Thursday, Richard and his law firm filed the Notice of Appeal. Here is his statement about it:

Thursday marked a new and hopefully last chapter in Attorney General Robert Ferguson’s crusade to destroy Tim Eyman: we filed our notice of appeal to the state Supreme Court.

In 52 years of legal practice, 15 of which were as a justice on the state Supreme Court, I have never seen such a case and such a massive deprivation of civil liberties.  The AG has mobilized the largest law firm in the state, with unlimited taxpayer resources, to destroy a single individual. 

Much has been said and written about this case, but do NOT believe what you read in the newspapers.  Here are the facts.

The AG has asserted claims against Mr. Eyman supposedly arising from the Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA), the most outrageous of which that Mr. Eyman (individually) is a “continuing political committee” and so is required to publicly report all the money he receives and spends personally for the rest of his life.

Every initiative Mr. Eyman has ever sponsored has been promoted through a political committee properly organized under the law.  Periodic reports from each committee were filed with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).  The law requires the treasurer, and only the treasurer, to file these reports.  Mr. Eyman was not the treasurer — the treasurer was an accountant named Stan Long.  Mr. Long filed complete, timely, and accurate reports for the initiative campaigns Mr. Eyman sponsored.

The AG claims that Mr. Eyman is a walking, talking, “continuing political committee” because he received charitable contributions from his friends to pay his family’s living expenses and his legal expenses during the 8 1/2 years the government has been investigating and litigating this case.

This is unprecedented. No single individual has ever been designated as such in this state or anywhere else.  Mr. Eyman was fined over a million dollars for failing to report every dollar he received personally and every dollar he spent personally since 2012 from whatever source for whatever purpose. 

As a factual matter, Mr. Eyman has solicited charitable contributions for his living and legal expenses for years. In his letters, Mr. Eyman expressly states the money is for him and his family to live and survive this lawsuit — not for campaign purposes. None of this money ever went to a campaign. The FCPA does not prohibit this, does not require it be reported, and would be unconstitutional if it did.

But even if the statute covered this, Mr. Eyman was not the treasurer responsible for reporting it. In addition, Mr. Eyman has the First Amendment right to privately associate with anyone he wants, to solicit charitable contributions, and to not report any of it to the government. A few weeks ago, on July 1st, the U.S. Supreme Court held that charities need not report their donors.  Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, (2021)  The only legitimate state interest in public disclosure is voter education of campaign finance, not the otherwise private financial dealing of individuals.  Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

The consequence of this extra-legal ruling is this: Mr. Eyman must report all his personal transactions to the government forever and is subject to restrictions on his First Amendment rights for the rest of his life.

This ruling — if unchallenged — is a political death sentence for Mr. Eyman. It is also contrary to the law and must be reversed.

We will fight on and with the help of Mr. Eyman’s many friends and supporters, God willing, we will prevail.

Richard B. Sanders 

— END —

Help me fight back against this gross injustice and abuse of power by the AG. Please donate to my legal defense fund TODAY:

Mail your check to: Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund, 500 106th Ave NE #709, Bellevue, WA, 98004
Or donate online: Paypal
Or: Debit Card or Credit Card

On Thurs, July 29th, we must file a Statement of Grounds for Direct Review. It’s a legal brief — up to 15 pages — that justifies the Supreme Court taking jurisdiction of the appeal rather than kicking it back to the Court of Appeals.

It’s a critical filing.

Without it, the Notice of Appeal filed yesterday has no effect.

I’ve got ’til Thurs July 29th to raise funds to pay for it.

Without your help, Bob Ferguson wins.

Please help me fight back by donating to my legal defense fund TODAY:

Mail your check to: Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund, 500 106th Ave NE #709, Bellevue, WA, 98004
Or donate online: Paypal, Debit Card or Credit Card

This is a legal and political precedent that cannot be allowed to stand.

Don’t let the guy who robbed us of our $30 Tabs get away with this.

As you know, we worked really hard on Initiative 976 — here’s when we turned in 350,000 voter signatures to qualify it for the ballot:

And here’s election night:

Karen and I sacrificed a lot — we sold off our retirement fund to kick-start its signature drive:

And now, a message from Sid Maietto and Larry Jensen:

We’re asking folks to donate to our PAC so Tim can get paid back (and live and survive) and to help stop Inslee’s Income Tax and Carbon Tax Schemes with the initiatives we’re co-sponsoring with Tim.

The taxpayers of Washington need our help now more than ever. Donate to our political committee so we can keep fighting for you:

Mail your check — made payable to “Permanent Offense” — to: Permanent Offense, PO Box 6151, Olympia, WA, 98507
Or donate by: Paypal, Debit Card or Credit Card

Kindest Regards, 

Sid Maietto & Larry Jensen

— END —

Thanks everyone.

I love you all.

Tim