Todd & Julie Chrisley Receive $1 Million Settlement In Misconduct Lawsuit

Todd Chrisley / Facebook

Reality television stars, Todd and Julie Chrisley, have been incarcerated for nearly one year.       

In November 2022, Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality television show Chrisley Knows Best, were convicted and sentenced for a variety of charges relating to federal tax evasion and bank fraud. They reported to prison in January 2023 year serving what was originally a combined 19-year sentence but has since been slightly reduced to approximately 16 years. Todd (54) is in Pensacola, Florida, and Julie (51) is in Lexington, Kentucky. 

The couple has appealed the convictions are their legal teams are working to improve their outlook. This week, the Chrisley’s scored a surprising legal victory. 

Todd and Julie Chrisley will receive a $1 million settlement from the state of Georgia to resolve a 2019 lawsuit.         

In late 2019, Todd and Julie Chrisley filed a lawsuit against Joshua Waites, the former Director of Special Investigations of the state of Georgia Department of Revenue. The famous couple was cleared of state tax evasion charges in October 2019, and the suit alleges that Waties committed misconduct when he “specifically targeted” family members in pursuit of the charges. 

The lawsuit, obtained by PEOPLE, asserts that Waites’ initial charges against Todd and Julie were “a shocking example of how an out-of-control public servant can abuse his office and violate the rights of innocent citizens for reasons that have more to do with securing publicity and money for his office than with enforcing the law.” 

The family has accused Waites of targeting estranged daughter Lindsie Chrisley in an attempt to dig up incriminating information on the family. Michael J. Bowers, the Chrisley’s former lawyer who initially filed the suit, said: 

“Ultimately Waites’s efforts failed, but in the process, the Chrisleys were forced to incur substantial personal and financial hardship.”

The Chrisley’s legal team says the settlement is an “encouraging sign.” 

The family’s current attorney, Alex Little of Burr & Forman LLP, shared news of the $1 million settlement from the state of Georgia in a statement Tuesday (Jan 9). The statement shares: 

“We have been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had real problems. This settlement is an encouraging sign. It’s nearly unprecedented for one arm of the government to pay money to defendants when another arm is fighting to keep them in jail.”

Todd and Julie Chrisley’s appeal of their federal criminal convictions will be heard by the federal appeals court in Atlanta in April. Stay tuned for updates. 

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