Earlier immediately, I wrote in regards to the allegations within the Tom Goldstein indictment. Right here, I’ll evaluate a number of the dates within the indictment with the dates of Tom Goldstein’s oral arguments earlier than the Supreme Courtroom. After all, the allegations in an indictment are simply that–allegations. All through this publish, I’ll assume the federal government’s claims are right, however all of those allegations would have to be confirmed in Courtroom.
The indictment issues Goldstein’s conduct between 2016 and 2021. Throughout that interval, in accordance with Oyez, he argued seven instances earlier than the Supreme Courtroom. This represents a drop-off within the variety of oral arguments from earlier in his profession. He had persistently argued a number of instances per time period: 4 in 2003, 3 in 2004, 2 in 2005, 3 in 2008, 2 in 2011, 3 in 2012, 2 in 2013, 4 in 2014, and three in 2015.
In April 2017, Goldstein had two arguments within the span of eight days.
Main as much as this era, the indictment alleges:
Between late 2016 and early February 2017, GOLDSTEIN engaged in a sequence of heads-up poker matches in Los Angeles in opposition to a California businessman who had made thousands and thousands in the true property market (“California Businessman-3”). In these matches, GOLDSTEIN suffered internet losses of over $9.5 million {dollars}. As a result of nobody had staked or purchased a bit of him within the matches, GOLDSTEIN was chargeable for paying his complete losses to California Businessman-3 after every shedding match. . . ,
In early February 2017, GOLDSTEIN engaged in a scheme to divert to his Playing Account a $250,000 authorized payment owed by Legislation Agency-1 to G&R in reference to G&R’s Supreme Courtroom briefing in a securities class-action case. To divert the payment, GOLDSTEIN exchanged a sequence of emails on or about February 1, 2017, with a named associate of Legislation Agency-1, culminating in an settlement that Legislation Agency-1 would pay $500,000 to G&R over the course of the assorted phases of the Supreme Courtroom appellate course of, together with, at GOLDSTEIN’s insistence, an preliminary $250,000 to be paid by Legislation Agency-1 “instantly.” . . .
In early March 2017, GOLDSTEIN continued taking part in the sequence of heads-up poker matches with California Businessman-3. To assist fulfill a $500,000 poker debt stemming from an early March 2017 match in opposition to California Businessman-3, GOLDSTEIN contacted Legislation Agency-2 and requested a named associate on the agency whether or not he was thinking about “investing” in one in all GOLDSTEIN’s poker matches in opposition to California Businessman-3. In connection together with his request, GOLDSTEIN despatched an e mail to the Legislation Agency-2 associate on or about March 6, 2017, containing a hyperlink to a web based gambling-related discussion board, which included a dialogue thread wherein sure poker aficionados had commented tliat California Businessman-3 was a poor poker participant. When sending the e-mail, GOLDSTEIN didn’t divulge to the Legislation Agency-2 associate that, over the previous months, he had already misplaced roughly $10 million to California Businessman-3.
Even one of the best Supreme Courtroom advocates, with 100% focus, will wrestle arguing in opposition to Paul Clement and Neal Katyal. I can not fathom going to the Courtroom with this type of stuff happening a couple of month earlier than the argument.
Goldstein’s subsequent argument was in November 2017.
The indictment alleges:
46. To partially fulfill his $500,000 private debt to Legislation Agency-2, GOLDSTEIN brought on the G&R agency supervisor to ship, through wire switch from a G&R enterprise checking account, $175,000 of G&R’s funds to Legislation Agency-2 on or about November 7, 2017. When directing that the $175,000 wire be despatched, GOLDSTEIN didn’t open up to the G&R agency supervisor that this transfer-which was between two regulation firms-was to fulfill GOLDSTEIN’ s private gambling-related debt and never a authorized payment or different G&R enterprise expense. To additional fulfill a part of his debt, on or about November 14, 2017, GOLDSTEIN brought on Skilled Gambler-I to ship to Legislation Agency-2 $200,000 that he owed to GOLDSTEIN personally on account of a poker match that GOLDSTEIN had received. By the top of 2017, GOLDSTEIN nonetheless owed $125,000 to Legislation Agency-2 in reference to the playing “funding.” 19
These transactions allegedly occurred two weeks earlier than his oral argument in Cyan.
Goldstein’s subsequent argument got here in October 2018:
The indictment alleges:
GOLDSTEIN falsely acknowledged.in an October 11, 2018, e mail to the Accounting Agency that he had “[n]o playing winnings” in 2017, inflicting the preparation and submitting of a 2017 Type 1040 that falsely omitted over $3.4 million in playing winnings;
48. GOLDSTEIN brought on the G&R2017 Type l 120Sto be filed on or about July 13, 2018. GOLDSTEIN brought on his 2017 Type 1040 to be filed with the IRS on or about October 15, 2018, pursuant to an extension filed in April 2018. That return confirmed an quantity due and owing of $1,037,595. . . .
54. In October 2018, GOLDSTEIN traveled to Macau, the place he collected roughly $1,000,000 in earnings from Overseas Gambler-3 or his affiliate. Quickly after, GOLDSTEIN flew from Hong Kong to Dulles Worldwide Airport carrying a duffel bag containing roughly $968,000 in United States {dollars}. Throughout an encounter with a United States Customs and Border Safety officer on the airport, GOLDSTEIN admitted that the money represented playing winnings. GOLDSTEIN, nonetheless, didn’t report the $968,000 as earnings on his 2018 Type 1040. Furthermore, in an interview with representatives of the IRS on or about October 14, 2020, GOLDSTEIN falsely acknowledged that the funds introduced again from Hong Kong represented a “mortgage”-but by no means produced any report documenting the purported mortgage or its phrases.
The e-mail was allegedly despatched to the accounting agency at some point after oral argument, and the return was allegedly filed 5 days after oral argument. And sooner or later that month (probably after oral argument), he allegedly introduced again practically $1 million in money in a duffle bag from Macau to Dulles Airport. I visited Macau in Might 2018 throughout a visit to Hong Kong. It was like Las Vegas, however smaller. I didn’t deliver again a duffle bag.
The indictment alleges:
Throughout 2019, GOLDSTEIN was concerned in a poker match involving a California Film Producer (“the Producer”). In that match, GOLDSTEIN misplaced $170,000 to the Producer. To fulfill that poker debt, GOLDSTEIN brought on a $170,000 wire switch to be despatched from the G&R checking account to the Producer. . . .
In or about February 2019, GOLDSTEIN represented Overseas Gambler-3 in reference to sure courtroom proceedings in Macau. For that authorized work, Overseas Gambler-3 brought on roughly $235,000 to be sentto the G&RMontenegrin checking account. GOLDS’IEIN advised the G&R agency supervisor that he was anticipating to obtain “$235k” from Overseas Gambler-3 on the Montenegrin monetary establishment and wished to wire it to a U.S. home G&R financial institution account-but didn’t inform the agency supervisor that the cash was authorized payment earnings. . . .
These occasions allegedly occurred about 9 months earlier than Citgo.
Goldstein’s subsequent case got here in October 2020 (throughout distant oral argument):
The indictment alleges:
GOLDSTEIN brought on his 2019 Type 1040 to be filed on October 15, 2020. Though GOLDSTEIN owed over $500,000 in taxes for 2019 on the time he filed his return, GOLDSTEIN didn’t pay these taxes till April 29, 2021. Somewhat than paying his taxes on July 15, 2020, once they have been due, or on October 15, 2020, when he filed his return, GOLDSTEIN spent over $50,000 on luxurious objects and different private funds between July and October 2020. Furthermore, GOLDSTEIN paid over $550,000 for playing money owed throughout 2020.
This way was allegedly filed about eight days after oral argument.
Goldstein’s closing argument got here in March 2021.
The indictment alleges these occasions occurred across the identical time:
In late February and early March 2021, GOLDSTEIN and his spouse submitted two joint functions to First Financial savings Mortgage Company (“FSM”), looking for to borrow funds to buy the Washington, D.C. residence. The primary utility, signed and submitted by GOLDSTEIN to FSM on or about February 24, 2021, sought $2,000,000 to place.towards the acquisition of the brand new hdme. The second utility, signed and submitted by GOLDSTEIN on or 32 about March 1, 2021, sought $180,000 as a bridge mortgage, to cowl sure prices in’reference to the brand new residence buy. In mid-March 2021, after studying of the tax liens, FSM knowledgeable GOLDSTEIN that it will not lend to him. . . . . To raise the tax liens on his Chevy Chase residence and to acquire financing for the Washington, D.C., residence buy, GOLDSTEIN contacteda litigation funder (“the Funder”) that had beforehand offered financing to G&R. Pursuant to a sequence of communications in mid-March 2021, GOLDSTEIN, actingthrough G&R, entered into two agreements with the Funder. By these agreements, GOLDSTEIN successfully borrowed $1,600,000 and an extra $4,000,000 from the Funder, permitting him to buy the brand new residence and to repay the private tax liabilities that had resulted within the tax-liens. As a part of his agreements with the Funder, which have been signed by GOLDSTEIN on or about March 29, 2021, and April 17, 2021, GOLDSTEIN brought on G&R to pledge sure receivables probably due in specified courtroom instances and different authorized issues. GOLDSTEIN additionally offered a private warranty to the Funder in reference to each agreements, agreeing to be personally accountable if the safety recited within the agreements didn’t end in full compensation to:the Funder. One of many agreements furtherrequired that GOLDSTEIN, as “the Guarantor,” would, upon “acquiring a mortgage mortgage on the” new Washington, D.C., residence, “trigger the proceeds of such mortgage mortgage to be .utilized to the compensation of” the Funder. 96.
Allegedly, the loans have been denied two weeks earlier than oral argument, and Goldstein allegedly signed the settlement with the funder the day after oral argument.
The indictment additionally makes allegations about Goldstein’s efforts to gather sums from an unnamed Texas Businessman throughout this era:
On or about December 19, 2019, a Texas-based billionaire (“Texas Businessman”) engaged in a heads-up poker match in Dallas, Texas, in opposition to a California-based actor (“the Actor”). The match had been arrange by the Producer, who purchased a 50% piece of the Actor within the match. Along with his wagering with the Actor, the Texas Businessman additionally positioned “facet bets” with different poker gamers that he would prevail in his match in opposition to the Actor
76. The Actor received over $15.6 million within the December 2019 poker match with the Texas Businessman, however the Texas Businessman didn’t well timed pay the Actor and the facet bettors-to whom the Texas Businessman individually owed a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} on the facet bets. The. Texas Businessman’s failure to pay the Actor continued into.2021, though within the interim the Texas Businessman proposed to the Actor and the facet.bettors a settlement of his poker money owed that concerned paying an quantity considerably lower than what was truly owed.
77. In or about 202l, the Actor, who refused to comply with a discount of the quantity owed to him by the Texas Businessman, retained GOLDSTEIN and G&R to function his authorized consultant in his efforts to safe full cost of the poker debt owed to him by the Texas Businessman. In connection together with his retention of GOLDSTEIN, the Actor and GOLDSTEIN exchanged a sequence of e mail and textual content communications concerning how a lot GOLDSTEIN and G&R can be paid, together with a dialogue of labor that G&R had al.prepared spent on the matter. GOLDSTEIN and the Actor in the end agreed that the Actor would pay GOLDSTEIN a contingency payment primarily based on a proportion of the quantity GOLDSTEIN and G&R succeeded in convincing the Texas Businessman to pay to the Actor above the quantity beforehand proposed by the Texas Businessman.
78. Because of GOLDSTEIN’s authorized efforts, together with an e mail GOLDSTEIN despatched from his G&R agency e mail deal with to the Texas Businessman’s lawyer wherein GOLDSTEIN acknowledged that the Actor would take into account submitting a lawsuit to acquire cost, the Texas Businessman agreed in mid-2021 to pay the Actor in full. Accordingly, on June 21,2021, the Texas Businessman brought on $7,815,000 to be wire transferred to the Actor-representing cost in full to the Actor, much less the 50% piece owed to the Producer.
Who is that this thriller actor? And I’m not the Texas businessman. Because the saying goes, I am not a businessman, I am a enterprise, man.
Once more, all the pieces within the indictment is simply allegation. No info have been confirmed but. I’ve tried, as fastidiously as I can, to match the dates within the indictment with the dates of Goldstein’s arguments.
