Lawyer’s Poker Wins Lead to Tax Conviction

A former Supreme Court lawyer, known for writing a popular court blog, was found guilty of tax crimes. He had earned millions from secret poker games and did not report that income to the IRS. The case went on for six weeks in Greenbelt, Maryland. A jury deliberated about two days before saying he was guilty on twelve of sixteen charges. He admitted to one tax‑evasion count, four counts for helping make false tax returns, four for not paying taxes on time, and three for lying on loan forms. The prosecutor said he hid the money from his law firm to pay gambling debts and claimed those debts as business expenses. He had won roughly $50 million in poker, with about $22 million coming from Asian tournaments. He had argued over 40 cases before the Supreme Court and retired in 2023. His legal team once represented Al Gore in the 2000 election dispute that went to the Court.Friends were shocked when he was indicted last year because they did not know how much he gambled. The prosecutor called him a “willful tax cheat. ” His defense lawyer said the government rushed to judgment and that he made honest mistakes on his tax returns. The defense argued that a mistake is not a crime. During the trial, a well‑known actor who also plays poker testified that he had asked the lawyer for help with a debt owed by a billionaire. The lawyer denied wrongdoing and said he had told his staff to record expenses correctly. He was also accused of lying to IRS agents and hiding a $15 million gambling debt from mortgage lenders. He did not include that debt when applying for a new home in Washington, D. C. , with his wife. The judge noted that the scheme collapsed when another gambler reported a debt to the IRS in 2016. The outcome shows that even high‑profile lawyers can face serious consequences for ignoring tax laws.