Man about to be indicted by IRS for massive tax fraud scheme publishes NYT op-ed advocating letting Donald Trump off the hook

For old time’s sake no doubt.

Tom Goldstein, November 2024:

With the election now over, the courts have to decide quickly whether to move forward with the criminal cases against Donald Trump. Although this idea will pain my fellow Democrats, all of the cases should be abandoned.

Democracy’s ultimate verdict on these prosecutions was rendered by voters on Election Day. The charges were front and center in the campaign. The president-elect made a central feature of his candidacy that the cases were political and calculated to stop him from being elected again. Despite the prosecutions, more than 75 million people, a majority of the popular vote counted so far, decided to send him back to the White House.

Tom Goldstein, two months later.

55-page federal grand jury indictments aren’t normally page-turners, but I can personally guarantee that this one doesn’t have a dull page in it.

Highlights include the allegations that Goldstein, a top SCOTUS litigator and the founder of SCOTUS Blog:

Funneled millions of dollars of personal gambling debts through his law firm’s accounts, thereby fraudulently mis-stating the business’s actual tax liability.

Used law firm funds to fraudulently transfer money and health care benefits to least a dozen mistresses, at least four of whom were given phony no-work jobs through the firm.

Didn’t pay millions of dollars of taxes owed to the IRS, while at the same time spending vast sums on luxury purchases (emoluments to aforementioned mistresses being just a small part of this spending).

Enticed another law firm to “invest” $500K in a poker match Goldstein was going to play with California Businessman #3, by sending a partner in the firm a link to an online poker discussion about how CB3 was purportedly a poor player, without disclosing to the other firm that Goldstein had already lost millions of dollars to CB3 in previous matches, and that the money the firm would invest would actually be going to pay down these debts.

Filed fraudulent loan documents, co-signed by his wife (nice touch!), failing to disclose that he owed around $20 million in gambling debts, while he was trying to buy a two million dollar house in DC on credit.

Also filed tax returns that falsely omitted his extensive — surprise! — cryptocurrency speculation investment activities.

There’s much much more in the indictment, but here I’ll just note that the IRS has been onto this schmuck for at least seven years, and that Goldstein committed most of these offenses after he was well aware that the IRS was investigating his colorful financial history, much of which is apparently recorded in subsequent smart phone texts to high stakes gamblers in the business and entertainment industries.

And then on top of all that he has the stones to submit an op-ed to the Times currying favor with the man who can give him a pass, as they apparently say in the mob.

Elite impunity will be the death of this nation.