Todd and Julie Chrisley Receive $1 Million Settlement After Suing for Misconduct in Tax Fraud Case

Julie and Todd Chrisley's legal journey continues.

According to a release shared with E! News by a rep for the family, the couple—who are currently serving years-long prison sentences for bank fraud and tax evasion—have received a $1 million settlement from the state of Georgia after suing former special investigator Joshua Waites for misconduct in his handling of their investigation. 

"We have been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had real problems," read a statement to E! News from the family's lawyer, Alex Little. "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."

The Chrisleys filed the lawsuit against Waites, who was the former Director of Special Investigations for the Georgia Department of Revenue, shortly after they were indicted for fraud and tax charges, alleging that Waites committed misconduct in his investigation into the couple. 

E! News has reached out to Waites and the Georgia Department of Revenue for comment but has not heard back.

Back in Sept. 2021, Atlanta's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report that found the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) misused funds seized in asset forfeiture related to the Chrisleys' case. 

The OIG's investigation found photos of Waites posing on the Chrisley's seized furniture, as well as messages boasting about having done so. The report's findings also said that Waites' office filed an improper request with the U.S. Treasury Department to access the reality TV stars' bank accounts.

"By posing on the Chrisley's furniture, Director Waites and other senior DOR leadership undermined DOR's ability to maintain a position of impartiality in the enforcement of state law," read the OIG's report on its findings, adding that the actions "lends credence to Todd Chrisley's complaints that he was unfairly targeted for investigation due to his 'celebrity status.'"

Despite alleged misconduct during the investigation, in June 2022 the Chrisleys were found guilty on 12 counts, including charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie received 7 years—sentences the couple started in Jan. 2023.

In September, it was announced that the Chrisley Knows Best would be released earlier than their original sentences. Todd has his release date moved up to January 22, 2033, two years earlier than his originally scheduled 2035 release, while Julie's release date moved up by a year and three months to October 19, 2028. 

"Without a doubt, Todd and Julie are model incarcerated individuals who received exorbitant sentences," Jay Surgent, an attorney for the couple, told Insider at the time. "I believe Todd is down to 10 years and Julie is now at five years."

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