SCOTUSblog’s Goldstein Must Face Charges in Tax Fraud Case (1)

Tom Goldstein failed to convince a federal judge to toss tax evasion and other charges in an indictment alleging he defrauded the IRS.

Goldstein failed to show the charges should be dismissed based on grounds that the limitations period has expired, since the government obtained several tolling orders, Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby of the US District Court for the District of Maryland said in an order entered Wednesday. The order memorialized what the judge held during an Oct. 7 hearing.

Goldstein allegedly used funds from his then-law firm, Goldstein & Russel PC, between 2016 and 2022 to cover personal expenses, including millions in gambling debts. He also is accused of creating fake jobs at his firm to conceal payments he made to or on behalf of “at least a dozen women” and failing to report or mischaracterizing millions of dollars in gambling income to the IRS. Goldstein, who co-founded SCOTUSblog, was indicted on 22 counts for violations of federal tax laws and making false statements on mortgage loan applications.

Goldstein argued four of the charges—tax evasion, willful failure to pay taxes, and two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return—were time-barred.

But the government obtained several tolling orders because Goldstein spent “hundreds of days travelling” outside the country, Griggsby said. The question of whether the statute of limitations was actually tolled due to Goldstein’s time abroad is for a jury to decide, the judge added.

Griggsby also rejected Goldstein’s bid to suppress statements he allegedly made to federal immigration authorities in 2018. Goldstein allegedly told US Customs and Border Protection officers that the $968,000 in cash he was stopped with was gambling winnings, but he later told the IRS the money constituted loans.

The case is United States v. Goldstein, D. Md., No. 8:25-cr-00006, entered 10/15/25.