A state board has ordered Rep. John Sinrud, R-Bozeman, to quit practicing architecture until he obtains an architect's license or he will face court action.

The Board of Architects unanimously issued a cease and desist order against Sinrud Oct. 15.

It vowed to seek a court injunction against him if it finds he continues to practice architecture without a license.

The board, part of the state Department of Labor and Industry, also said it might ask the county attorney to prosecute him for a misdemeanor.

Sinrud, one of Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer's harshest critics, charged that he is the victim of a political witch hunt that's depriving him of his right to earn a living.

"It was nothing but political, absolutely and completely political," Sinrud said Monday. "It's a political hit because I caused the governor some problems."

As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Sinrud has disagreed with Schweitzer often.

Sinrud said he and his family have been living on savings since mid-October because he can't work, "but something's going to have to fall in the next two months."

"It could force me out of Montana and the Legislature, and that's exactly what the governor wants," Sinrud said.

Schweitzer said he knew nothing about the matter until a reporter inquired and heatedly denied he was behind the action against Sinrud.

"It would be delusional," Schweitzer said. "I didn't even know what he did for a living."

Schweitzer said he's had no conversations with his staff or the Board of Architecture about Sinrud's case.

Two Labor Department employees with ties to Schweitzer immediately recused themselves from the case when it came in, said Art Gorov, deputy chief legal counsel.

One was Mike Cooney, administrator of the agency's Business Standards Division, and a Democrat who is president of the Montana Senate.

The other was the department's chief legal counsel, Viv Hammill, who also handles sticky personnel legal issues for the administration.

Sinrud said he was told he couldn't testify before the Board of Architects so he proceeded to take a previously scheduled legislative trip to Taiwan.

"They crown themselves king and declare themselves dictator," he said. "Why would I go watch if I can't say anything?"

Gorov said people subject to investigations aren't entitled to testify at screening panels, but it turned out to be before a full board, where the person can speak if questioned.

"I talked to Sinrud a couple of weeks ago," Gorov said. "I told him I can't give him legal advice but there are several ways to undo this. I'm sure his lawyer will undo this."

Sinrud, who has a political science degree from Montana State University, was president of JJKG & Associates, an architectural design firm.

For a profile in the Lee Newspapers in March, Sinrud said he studied architecture at MSU for five quarters but dropped out because of an illness.

He later worked for an architectural firm in Los Angeles and picked up his computer automated design and drafting credentials at a community college there.

After returning to Bozeman, Sinrud said he worked for some area architectural firms before opening his own business in 2002 to do architectural design and land planning.

In an April 11 letter, Sinrud told the board, "I do not hold myself out as an 'architect' or a 'licensed architect' in any of my business activities.

"Neither am I engaged in the 'the practice of architecture,' thereby needing a license."

The investigation found that Sinrud's company's Web site listed "numerous projects designed by the company," both residential and commercial, but no licensed architects on its staff and hadn't associated with any.

It's a crazy process," said Sinrud's attorney, Art Wittich of Bozeman. "They really don't have to disclose what their evidence is. They make charges. There's no fair hearing and there's no due process, which amazed me. People who are licensed get more due process than people who are not."

Wittich said Sinrud does design and drafting work, as do plenty of other people in Gallatin County.

"Under what this board is saying, all of these people would be licensed," Wittich said. "Clearly they haven't been enforcing it. It's selective enforcement."