Tom Goldstein of SCOTUSblog Fame Pleads Not Guilty to Tax Crimes

Tom Goldstein—a top appellate lawyer and high-stakes gambler known for co-founding the website SCOTUSblog—pleaded not guilty to tax and loan fraud charges at his arraignment in Greenbelt, Md., Monday.

Goldstein was released on a $4 million bond, to be secured by his primary residence in Washington D.C. He’d tried to offer alternative collateral, but Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan concluded Goldstein’s primary residence was the only way to ensure the globe-trotting, well-connected lawyer didn’t flee.

Sullivan said Goldstein’s high-profile legal career didn’t distinguish him from any other defendant and was focused on conditions that would ensure he wasn’t a serious flight risk.

His wife and SCOTUSblog co-founder Amy Howe, who is returning from traveling abroad, will need to sign-off on putting the house up within 48 hours, Sullivan said.

Goldstein’s release is subject to a number of special conditions. Among other things, he can’t play poker or communicate with any individuals appearing on the government’s lengthy list of potential witnesses.

His not-guilty plea was expected. Lawyers for Goldstein have said he intends to “vigorously contest” the charges, and that they “expect he will be exonerated at trial.”

They described Goldstein as a “prominent attorney with an impeccable reputation.” Those lawyers, John F. Lauro and Christopher M. Kise, were members of the legal teams that represented President Donald J. Trump in the election interference and government documents cases.

Goldstein is one of the most experienced appellate advocates in the US, having argued dozens of US Supreme Court cases before stepping back from his practice in 2023. He’s also an avid gambler, known for making risky bets.

“To this day, I have never met anyone with less respect for money proportionate to their net worth than Tom,” Goldstein’s Internet-famous poker buddy Dan Bilzerian wrote of the lawyer in his 2021 book, The Setup.

Lauro, who was in court with Goldstein on Monday, entered a limited appearance for purposes of the arraignment. Kise, meanwhile, wasn’t in attendance. Lauro was accompanied by Lerch Early & Brewer Chtd. partner Stuart Berman, who Lauro said might serve as Goldstein’s local counsel.

The Charges

The indictment—signed by US Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron on Jan. 16—charges Goldstein with four counts of tax evasion, 10 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns, five counts of willful failure to pay taxes, and three counts of making a false statement on a loan application.

It’s what’s known as a speaking indictment: heavier than strictly necessary on details.

The tax evasion counts allege Goldstein concealed millions of dollars in gambling-related income by using his law firm Goldstein & Russell PC to cover and funnel related funds.

Prosecutors also say he disguised personal expenditures—including money spent on various women with whom “he was having or pursuing intimate personal relationships"—as firm-related expenditures.

The loan fraud counts relate to the advocate’s alleged efforts to obtain financing to purchase a Washington home in 2021. Prosecutors allege he failed to disclose around $15 million in liabilities—mostly gambling-related—and lied about being delinquent on federal taxes. He’d been living in Chevy Chase, Md., at the time.

The case is United States v. Goldstein, D. Md., No. 8:25-cr-00006, arraignment held 1/27/25.