[2] Clarkson was brought up on lawyer misconduct charges in 1976 and in 1977 was indicted on numerous accounts of preparing fraudulent tax returns and presenting false claims to the United States Department of the Treasury.
[citation needed] In 1978, his lawyer misconduct hearings were concluded at the South Carolina State Supreme Court and he was disbarred.
[citation needed] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Clarkson was involved with anti-government groups, and "sometimes dresses as 'The Great One, a sort of masked super-hero symbolizing resistance to the tax authorities.
[citation needed] Early in 1994, a federal agent attended the class and, in April, Clarkson and two associates were indicted for conspiracy to impede, impair, obstruct and defeat the functions of the Internal Revenue Service under 18 U.S.C. § 371.
[4][8] In affirming the conviction of Clarkson and his co-defendants, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rejected his argument that he had a First Amendment right in connection with certain tax protest-related speeches held at various meetings: The defendants' words and acts were not remote from the commission of the criminal acts.
[12] According to a news release by the U.S. Department of Justice on July 3, 2007, the court "found that Clarkson falsely instructed Patriot Network members that they need not file federal income tax returns.
"[13] On September 16, 2008, Clarkson and his wife were arrested in their home town of Anderson, South Carolina and each was charged with criminal domestic violence.
"[14] A few days later, Clarkson was again arrested and was charged with violating a trespass order, unlawful use of the "911" emergency phone service, and first-degree harassment.