‘Survivor’ Hatch’s tax trial continues

Richard Hatch’s lawyer said Friday that the “Survivor� winner caught his fellow reality-show contestants cheating, and when he told producers about it they struck a deal: They would pay the taxes on the million-dollar prize if Hatch won.

During a break in Hatch’s testimony in Providence, R.I., his attorney, Michael Minns, told U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres of his plans to have “Survivor’s� first-ever winner testify about the deal. Hatch had been on the stand earlier Friday defending himself against charges that he failed to pay taxes on his “Survivor� winnings. Hatch won the first season of the hit CBS show, which aired in 2000.

Torres did not immediately say whether Hatch could testify to a jury about his allegations.

According to Minns, Hatch caught some of his fellow contestants trying to have friends sneak food to them on the island. That was against the rules, Minns said, and Hatch said Friday that he never ate any food on the show that he didn’t catch or find himself, or win through a competition.

The show’s executive producer, Mark Burnett, testified earlier in the trial, but neither the defense nor prosecutors asked him about any such deal.

A spokesman for Burnett had no immediate comment on the charges Friday. A CBS spokesman said the network would have no comment on the issue.