Judge Upholds $3.3M Tax Ruling Against ‘Survivor’ Winner Richard Hatch
America ı By Rihem Akkouche
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A Rhode Island federal judge has refused to reconsider his ruling that Richard Hatch, the first-ever winner of CBS’s “Survivor,” must pay $3.3 million in unpaid taxes, cementing a long-running feud between the reality TV icon and the U.S. government.
Senior U.S. District Judge William E. Smith on Tuesday denied reconsideration motions from both Hatch and the federal government, leaving intact his June ruling that found the government failed to prove Hatch fraudulently transferred property to his sister but confirmed Hatch’s multimillion-dollar tax liability.
The judge also left open the issue of whether Hatch’s sister, Kristin Hatch, might still lose her property to help satisfy her brother’s tax debt, ruling that the Rhode Island Voidable Transactions Act’s statute of limitations does not shield her from potential asset seizure.
A Decades-Long Tax Battle Resurfaces
Hatch, who won Survivor’s inaugural season in 2000, famously pocketed a $1 million prize, which he later failed to report in full to the IRS. His earnings snowballed as his reality TV fame grew, but his finances soon turned into a legal quagmire.
According to court records, Hatch co-purchased real estate in Rhode Island with his sister in 2002, then transferred those properties to her in 2005—just months before his 2006 conviction for tax evasion for failing to pay on his Survivor winnings and related income.
After serving four years in prison and his release in 2011, Hatch reached a payment agreement with the IRS, but the tax saga didn’t end there. By 2012, he had racked up new unpaid tax debts, prompting the government to file federal tax liens and ultimately launch another lawsuit in 2022.
Judge Smith wrote that while Hatch’s transfers appeared “in name only” and lacked proper compensation, the government still hadn’t shown that Hatch retained a property interest in those assets.
Court Rejects Hatch’s Bid to Relitigate His Conviction
In his latest filing, Hatch sought to reopen arguments related to his prior criminal conviction — a move Judge Smith swiftly shot down.
“Hatch’s attempt to reargue the merits of his conviction falls outside the criteria the court may consider,” Smith ruled, adding that the former TV star continues to “deny responsibility” for his tax evasion.
The government, meanwhile, had also asked the judge to reconsider aspects of his June decision but was similarly rebuffed.
Hatch Calls It ‘Justice Delayed’ as Case Heads Toward Trial
Speaking to Law360, Hatch blasted the government’s persistence, saying, “The government keeps overreaching… I’m sure you know what is said about justice delayed. My case certainly fits that bill!”
With Judge Smith’s latest order, the dispute now appears headed for trial, where the court may finally decide whether Kristin Hatch’s property can be sold to satisfy her brother’s multimillion-dollar tax debt.
Representatives for Kristin Hatch did not respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Department of Justice is represented by Samantha S. Lieb of the Tax Division. Hatch, still defiant, continues to represent himself, while his sister is represented by Gerard J. Levins of Levins Tax Law and Michael E. Monti of Sayer Regan & Thayer LLP.
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