Tom Goldstein, writing for SCOTUSblog.com, poses for a photo in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, October 31, 2013.
Alex Brandon | AP
tops supreme court The lawyer co-founded a popular blog about the High Court. was indicted Thursday in Maryland federal tax evasion charges He claims he failed to declare millions of dollars in poker winnings and used money from his law firm to pay off gambling debts.
SCOTUS Blog Publisher tom goldsteinHe has also been charged with making false statements to two mortgage lenders and has appeared before the Supreme Court more times than nearly all modern private practice lawyers.
The indictment alleges that Goldstein willfully failed to pay more than $5.3 million in taxes owed to the IRS for tax years 2016 through 2021.
Mr. Goldstein, 54, teaches at Harvard Law School and was one of several lawyers who represented then-Vice President Al Gore in the case. Bush vs. Gore A Supreme Court lawsuit halts Florida’s disputed recount of ballots from the 2000 presidential election. He was also successful as a representative google The Supreme Court in case of the use of oracle Android software code has been accused of violating U.S. copyright law.
In November, Goldstein wrote the following paper: new york times A guest essay calling for an end to the criminal proceedings against President-elect Donald Trump.
According to the 22-count indictment against Mr. Goldstein, Mr. Goldstein also “frequently competes in matches or series of matches within or outside the United States with stakes totaling millions or even tens of millions of dollars.” He was also said to be a super power player. In the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
According to the indictment, Goldstein won approximately $13.8 million in a series of matches with foreign gamblers in Asia in 2016. A few months later, Goldstein won $26.4 million in a series of matches against California businessmen in Beverly Hills, according to the indictment.
The indictment alleges that he used legal fees owed to Goldstein & Russell, a Bethesda, Maryland, appellate law firm, to pay off poker-related debts.
The indictment also alleges that from 2016 to 2022, “Goldstein engaged in or pursued intimate relationships with at least 12 women” and paid for travel and other expenses for many of them, while “informing the Internal Revenue Service… He also claims that he owed a large amount of money. ”
Four of the women were nominally employed by his company and were paid health benefits while doing “little or no work for the company,” according to the indictment.
Goldstein, who co-founded SCOTUSblog with his wife Amy Howe in 2002, told Reuters in early 2023 that he would end his law practice and retire from the now-renamed firm.
“Mr. Goldstein is a distinguished lawyer with an impeccable reputation,” Goldstein’s lawyers John Lauro and Christopher Kise of Continental said in a statement to CNBC. I am extremely disappointed that the decision was made hastily without understanding the matter.” important fact. ”
“Our client intends to vigorously contest these charges and expects to be found not guilty at trial,” the attorneys said.
According to the indictment, Goldstein used more than $1.1 million in company funds in 2016 to pay off personal debts, including gambling debts to poker players.
He also allegedly underreported more than $3.9 million in gambling winnings on his 2016 federal tax return and omitted more than $3.4 million in gambling income on his 2017 tax return.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland, Goldstein submitted “false mortgage applications to two separate mortgage companies in 2021 seeking financing to purchase a $2.6 million home in Washington, D.C.” It is also said that he submitted
“These mortgage applications required Goldstein to list all of his debts and debts, which included more than $14 million, which he owed at the time in two promissory notes. “He allegedly omitted millions of dollars in debt, including taxes owed to the IRS,” the office said. “It is alleged that Mr. Goldstein obtained a $1.98 million loan by making false statements to one of his mortgage lenders.”
October 2008 washington post An article about Goldstein’s poker playing quotes Goldstein as saying, “I was one of those people who got hooked on watching poker on ESPN,” and that earlier that year he was at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. It is stated that he beat 130 players to qualify for the tournament. Vegas.
“He only had two days to live,” the Post wrote. “But during a break in the tournament, this soft-spoken litigator made a name for himself in an 18-hour cash game at the Bellagio. Goldstein started with a stack of $12,000 chips and won and lost hands. I grew that to over $100,000 while doing things like that.” There’s over $70,000 in the pot. ”
Mr. Goldstein is charged with tax evasion, aiding and abetting the preparation of false tax returns, willful failure to pay taxes, and making false statements on loan applications.
