Former Chrisley Knows Best stars Todd and Julie Chrisley–- who are currently serving time in federal prison for tax evasion and fraud crimes–- just scored a legal win and a million bucks.
The couple’s attorney told People Wednesday that Todd and Julie will receive a $1 million settlement from the State of Georgia for their 2019 federal lawsuit against Joshua Waites, former Director of Special Investigations of the state’s Department of Revenue.
While Todd and Julie were previously cleared of their tax evasion charge in Georgia, they went on to take legal action against Joshua in October 2019, claiming he “specifically targeted” their family and abused his position in order to “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 Chrisleys’ lawsuit also accused Joshua of attempting to use Todd’s eldest daughter, Lindsie Chrisley, to seek information about the family.
“We have been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had real problems,” Chrisley family attorney, Alex Little of Burr & Forman LLP, said in a statement to People. “This settlement is an encouraging sign.”
The attorney went on to note that it is “nearly unprecedented” for one arm of the government to pay money to defendants who have another arm of government fighting to keep them in jail.
On Wednesday, Todd and Julie’s son Chase Chrisley shared the news of his parents’ legal win on social media, echoing the family’s attorney that the “small victory” was proof that Todd and Julie are not guilty for their alleged crimes.
“In what world does the government pay a guilty person?! ‘THEY DON’T,’” Chase wrote. “It’s a scary dangerous time in our country! Please know we will not stop fighting and we are only just getting started! Thank you to everyone supporting us!
“This is a small victory but a big step in the right direction!” Chase continued. “God is good!”
Todd and Julie’s daughter Savannah Chrisley also spoke out following the recent news, telling followers to “open their eyes to the corruption occurring EVERY SINGLE DAY.”
Todd and Julie were sentenced to prison in November 2022–- 12 years for Todd and seven years for Julie. Since then, however, the couple had their sentences reduced by two years for Todd and one year for Julie.
An appeal of Todd and Julie’s criminal convictions is slated to be heard by the federal appeals court in Atlanta in April.
(Photos: Instagram; USA Network)
Ahh, to be privileged and held accountable. It’s SUCH a scary dangerous time in our country. *eyeroll*
Criminals get settlements and payments from government agencies all the time-for all sorts of reasons. That doesn’t mean the criminals are not guilty of their crimes, or at least, some of them. Just because one agency or one representative of an agency does something they shouldn’t, doesn’t mean the entire agency does, or did.
I have a family member who is a criminal (admittedly and convicted, I might add) who received a payment from one government agency due to the behavior of one of their representatives which went above and beyond what they are legally allowed (supposed) to do. That person is still a criminal and will still be spending a pretty large chunk of their life behind bars for the crimes they committed. It’s not rocket surgery.
I don’t know what world they think they’re living in, but it isn’t the real one, and apparently never has been (it must be genetic, since their kids clearly, also, don’t live in the real world).
Isn’t their crime that they took loans for fraudulent businesses or something? How is that even possible to debate whether they’re guilty? Either the literally misused the money or not?
Put that towards your restitution.
What a world.
All the slimeballs that do illegal things seem to somehow end up on top.
because they have no conscious about screwing people over