Co-Founder of SCOTUS Blog Convicted of Tax and Mortgage Fraud

Co-Founder of SCOTUS Blog Convicted of Tax and Mortgage Fraud

Thomas Goldstein, co-founder of the highly influential SCOTUSblog, has been convicted of tax fraud and mortgage fraud. In addition to being a successful blogger and attorney, Goldstein is apparently a professional poker player who has made an impressive amount of money.

That sort of thing can get one into a lot of trouble if the winnings are not reported properly.

Reuters reports:

Prominent Washington lawyer Tom Goldstein convicted at tax trial

A U.S. jury on Wednesday convicted prominent Washington lawyer Thomas Goldstein of tax and financial crimes tied to his side career as a high-stakes poker player, a stunning fall for a man who was one of the top U.S. appellate attorneys and often argued cases at the Supreme Court.

The 12-person jury announced the verdict on the third day of deliberations after seven weeks of a trial in the Washington suburb of Greenbelt, Maryland. Goldstein was indicted last year after federal prosecutors accused him of failing to report millions of dollars in poker winnings, lying on mortgage loan documents and making improper payments through his former law firm Goldstein & Russell.

The jury found Goldstein guilty of 12 of the 16 counts he faced, acquitting him of some charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.

Goldstein and a lead prosecutor in the case, Adeyemi Adenrele, declined to comment after the trial.

Prosecutors have not said what sentence they will seek for Goldstein. He faces a maximum prison term of five years for tax evasion, up to 30 years for his alleged false statements to mortgage lenders, and additional potential prison time for assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and willful failure to pay taxes. Judges are not required to adhere to sentencing guidelines.

The Hill has more details:

Prosecutors said Goldstein frequently played in games involving tens of millions of dollars, and beginning in 2016, stopped paying taxes on his significant gambling income. They also alleged that he diverted payments to his law firm for paying off poker-related debts and falsely deducted those debts as business expenses, meanwhile spending millions on luxury personal expenses.

“Goldstein chose fraud and deceit over honesty and tried to cheat the American taxpayer while living a lavish lifestyle,” said Kelly Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “He gambled that he wouldn’t get caught, and that gamble did not pay off.”

He was part of the legal team that represented Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore in the Supreme Court’s review of the 2000 election, which former President George W. Bush, a Republican, ultimately won. The lawyer also argued more than 40 cases at the Supreme Court himself before retiring in 2023.

You can read a press release from the DOJ here.

Featured image via YouTube.

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