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Tom Goldstein, a prominent attorney known for his extensive experience before the Supreme Court and as a co-founder of the widely recognized SCOTUSblog, was indicted on federal tax evasion charges in Maryland on Thursday. The charges claim that Goldstein failed to report millions accrued from poker winnings and misappropriated funds from his law firm’s finances to settle his gambling debts.
At 54 years old, Goldstein has made significant contributions to legal education as a former Harvard Law School instructor and played a role in the high-profile Bush v. Gore case, which was pivotal in the outcome of the 2000 presidential election. His legal acumen has also led him to represent major corporations, including Google, in high-stakes cases.
In a guest essay published in the New York Times last November, he advocated for an end to the criminal prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump, reflecting his influential voice in legal and political discussions.
Goldstein’s indictment outlines extensive financial mismanagement, alleging that he redirected over $1.1 million in legal fees from Goldstein & Russell, his Bethesda-based law firm, to cover personal debts, primarily gambling-related. The court documents reveal that between 2016 and 2022, he engaged in relationships with multiple women, financing travel and other costs during a time when he purportedly owed significant sums to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Furthermore, the indictment claims that four of these women were employed by his law firm yet contributed minimally to its operations, receiving health benefits without adequate justification for their roles. Allegations also indicate that Goldstein significantly understated his gambling income on his 2016 tax return by over $3.9 million and failed to report more than $3.4 million in winnings in 2017.
In 2021, Goldstein reportedly submitted fraudulent mortgage applications to finance the purchase of a $2.6 million home in Washington, D.C. He allegedly failed to disclose millions in liabilities, including over $14 million owed on promissory notes and outstanding tax debts, which resulted in securing a nearly $2 million loan based on inflated financial statements.
As a conclusion to his legal career, Goldstein recently announced his retirement and the restructuring of his firm, which continues to operate under a new name. CNBC has reached out to him for further comments regarding these serious allegations.
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