Here's what I would have done if he didn't pay me and bounced a check - I would have taken the website down altogether while still retaining ownership of the domain. I would have purchased every other possible domain name so he couldn't go elsewhere and start another one without having to resort to www.bjformichigan.com. Then I would have simply sued him in small claims court and sent the notices to the media. That's the professional way to do things, let the news spread the story, not you. Imagine how potential clients are going to look at this, right or wrong, they're going to be turned off by it all. I posted about it in a web design forum and they all said the same thing, they wouldn't have handled a client like this. You both lose.

Beyond that, all of the other information you have about him, I would have anonymously spread that to ensure he didn't win the election. Then chalk it all up as a lesson learned. And next time, get half up front, and the final payment upon approval BEFORE launching the site live.

Another option, since you don't have a portfolio, you could have done a bang-up job on his site [[regardless of his tacky little opinion) and then used it to lure other clients. It would have made you more money in the end than you are losing now. And STILL anonymously ruin him on the backend.

You have to be more strategic in your decisions so you take down the enemy and come out smelling like a rose!