Mathew Martoma, the former SAC Capital Advisors trader charged with carrying out one of the largest insider trading schemes ever, was expelled from Harvard Law School in 1999 for creating a false transcript of his grades, a person briefed on the matter said on Thursday.
Mr. Martoma’s lawyer had sought to keep evidence of the grade tampering under wraps, but the judge presiding over the insider trading trial of the former hedge fund trader on Thursday ordered court papers discussing his expulsion to be unsealed.
The court papers in the case have not yet be unsealed,  according to the federal court’s electronic docketing service.
But a summary on the court docketing system known as a Pacer said the unsealed court papers would discuss a law school disciplinary proceeding involving Mr. Martoma. There was no mention in the summary of Mr. Martoma’s expulsion from law school or what the disciplinary matter involved.
The disclosure comes as a jury is being selected in Mr. Martoma’s trial.
Mr. Martoma, 39, is charged with using inside information to help Steven A. Cohen’s SAC Capital avoid losses and generate profits totaling $276 million in shares of two drug companies in July 2008.
Mr. Cohen has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the case. SAC Capital declined to comment.
A Harvard Law School spokeswoman said on Thursday that the university had no record of Mr. Martoma graduating but could not comment further. She could not confirm whether he had attended or whether he was expelled.
Lou Colasuonno, a spokesman for Mr. Martoma, said, “This event of 15 years ago is entirely unrelated to, and has no bearing on, this case.†He added that the prosecution, in raising the issue, is trying to “unduly influence the ongoing court proceedings.â€
James Margolin, a spokesman for Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney in Manhattan, declined to comment.
