Lawyer Tom Goldstein lied to 'everyone around him,' jurors told as US tax trial winds down

By Mike Scarcella

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A federal prosecutor urged a jury on Wednesday to find prominent U.S. Supreme Court lawyer Tom Goldstein guilty of tax and financial crimes, as a lengthy trial wrapped up over Goldstein's accounting of millions of dollars he won and lost in his double life as a high-stakes poker player.

Goldstein, who had argued more than 40 Supreme Court cases before retiring in 2023, evaded taxes and lied on mortgage applications to obscure his poker debts, prosecutor Sean Beaty told jurors in his closing argument in the federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.

“Not a single tax return signed by Mr. Goldstein under penalty of perjury is correct – not one,” Beaty said. He told jurors "there is no reason to believe Tom Goldstein," saying that he lied to "everyone around him."

Beaty told jurors "Mr. Goldstein is probably the smartest person in this courtroom. Smart people generally don't document their tax evasion. They hide it in the tall grass. The crime here is the concealment."

Goldstein was indicted last year for allegedly failing to report millions of dollars he won playing poker around the world and concealing debts from tax authorities and lenders.

He pleaded not guilty to 16 counts including tax evasion, aiding the preparation of false returns and lying on mortgage applications.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberating on Thursday to decide whether the government proved that Goldstein acted willfully or if, as Goldstein insists, he is guilty only of poor judgment rather than criminal acts.

Over seven weeks, jurors have heard from more than a dozen witnesses, including law firm leaders, IRS agents and other poker players from the same high‑stakes circles.

Prosecutors also highlighted Goldstein's lavish spending — a $225,000 Bentley, expensive apartments and club tabs — even as he owed the IRS millions.

Goldstein took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors he never willfully broke the law. He described himself as someone who disliked accounting and taxes, relying heavily on office managers and outside professionals.

In one exchange during Goldstein’s testimony last week, Beaty pressed him on whether he viewed himself as a victim. “No, I do not think I am the victim here, sir,” Goldstein replied.

“The mistakes, responsibility for those tax years is mine. I may end up continuing to pay for this for a long time,” he said. “That’s my responsibility. It’s just very different from whether I committed a crime.”