A Manhattan judge scolded former Trump associate and convicted fraudster Felix Sater at his divorce hearing Monday for not filing his 2018 tax return after the former he blew an extended deadline last month.
“While I appreciate the fact that people can file extensions until October for the prior year, that becomes a little bit dicier when there is a divorce action pending, because we do need to know what people’s incomes are,” Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Laura Drager told Sater during a hearing in the divorce case his wife Viktoria .
“I don’t understand why Mr. Sater’s tax return has not been filed as of today, November 4, because it is now overdue under federal law,” Drager said, adding that she would give him a few weeks to get his financials in order and to be deposed by his estranged wife’s lawyers before potentially filing sanctions against him.
Sater has already turned over “volumes of documents,” but Viktoria’s lawyers told the judge in her chambers that many questions remain, Drager said.
Sater’s lawyer, Jill Levi, explained to the judge it’s because “certain business dealings or agreements that the defendant had were not in writing and that therefore there were not documents in some instances to turn over,” Drager recounted of the in-chambers conference.
Levi asked the judge if Sater could explain to her what happened with his taxes, but Drager responded, “No, he cannot.”
“Any explanation he wants to give will be under oath at the deposition,” on Nov. 14, Drager said.
Sater — a Russian-born American — played a major role as a Trump Organization business associate in the failed proposal to build a Trump tower in Moscow. The 53-year-old convicted stock fraudster also was a major government cooperator and Mueller investigation witness.
He and Viktoria, 51 — who is repped by divorce lawyer Bernard Clair — were married for more than 25 years and have three daughters together.
Sater’s lawyer declined to comment outside of court. The estranged couple is due back in court on Dec. 5.