Todd and Julie Chrisley were awarded $1 million to settle their lawsuit against a Georgia tax official, the family's attorney announced this week.
The reality TV personalities, who are serving prison sentences for federal bank fraud and tax evasion convictions, filed their lawsuit against the state in 2019. The lawsuit alleged that Joshua Waites, director of the Department of Revenue's office of special investigations Georgia used their position to file “false tax evasion claims” against them for “publicity and money” instead of “enforcing the law.”
The settlement was reached with the state of Georgia, which will pay the settlement amount to the family, Chrisley's attorney, Alex Little, said in a statement Tuesday.
“We've been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was very unusual and had real problems,” Little said. “This agreement is an encouraging sign. “It is almost unprecedented for one branch of government to pay money to defendants when another branch is fighting to keep them in jail.”
The “Chrisley Knows Best” stars were convicted in June 2022 on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Julie Chrisley was also convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The couple began their respective prison sentences in January 2023. Todd was sentenced to 12 years in Florida's Pensacola Federal Prison Camp, while Julie received a seven-year sentence at the Kentucky Federal Medical Center in Lexington. They also received 16 months of probation each.
However, the two continue to fight their convictions and will be heard in a federal appeals court in Atlanta in April. They had filed their lawsuit against the tax official shortly after a federal grand jury indicted them.
The Chrisleys' lawsuit alleged that the Georgia tax official had attacked the couple's estranged daughter, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, and improperly shared confidential tax information to try to obtain compromising information about the family. As a result of the official's efforts, which ultimately failed, the Chrisleys were forced to “incur significant personal and financial hardship,” according to the lawsuit.
Although they were ultimately acquitted in the state tax evasion case, the federal government conducted its own investigation.
According to prosecutors, the Chrisleys presented false documents to banks when they applied for loans to finance their expensive lifestyle. They said Julie Chrisley also submitted a false credit report and false bank statements when she was trying to rent a house in California, then the couple refused to pay rent a few months after starting to use the house.
Along with their accountant Peter Tarantino, who was also sentenced to prison for his role in the situation, the couple planned to defraud the Internal Revenue Service to avoid paying taxes, prosecutors said. The Chrisleys did not file tax returns or pay taxes between 2013 and 2016, even as their wealth grew while starring on their reality TV show, which debuted in 2014.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
