Former reality TV star Todd Chrisley – who is already in prison for financial crimes – was just ordered by a federal jury to pay a Georgia Department of Revenue (GDOR) agent hundreds of thousands of dollars for defamation.
DOR investigator Amy Doherty-Heinze claimed in court documents that Chrisley “began a social media campaign against the GDOR and certain of its employees, contending that the investigation was illegal and improperly motivated,” according to documents obtained by WSB-TV. Chrisley “began attacking” the agent, “accusing her of a multitude of crimes and wrongdoing.”
On Thursday, a federal jury determined Chrisley was responsible for libeling and slandering Doherty-Heinze, and ordered him to pay the agent $350,000 in compensatory damages and $170,000 in punitive damages, in addition to attorney’s fees. In total, Chrisley now owes Doherty-Heinze around $755,000.
In November 2022, Chrisley and his wife, Julie, were sentenced to prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. In addition, Julie was also convicted on a charge of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Judge Eleanor L. Ross of U.S. District Court in Atlanta sentenced Todd to 12 years in prison followed by three years of probation, CNN reported. Ross sentenced Julie to seven years in prison followed by three years of probation. In addition, the couple will have to pay restitution for their crimes, though the exact amount is unknown at this time, The New York Times reported at the time.
Todd Chrisley made a fortune through Chrisley Asset Management, a real estate company he founded in Georgia, The Daily Wire previously reported. The success of the business combined with Todd’s personality and large family made him a perfect candidate for reality TV, which led to “Chrisley Knows Best.”
Even before the Chrisleys began their reality show in 2014, they had financial problems. In 2012, Todd filed for bankruptcy protection. Explaining the filing, his lawyer told People, “He guaranteed a real estate development loan and it failed. He was on the hook for $30 million. If he hadn’t had that happen, he would have been fine, financially.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ), however, explained that the Chrisleys — prior to their reality show — “conspired to defraud community banks in the Atlanta area to obtain more than $30 million in personal loans.”
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With the help of a business partner, Mark Braddock, the Chrisleys “submitted false bank statements, audit reports, and personal financial statements to banks to obtain the millions of dollars in fraudulent loans,” the DOJ wrote.
In 2017, the couple’s problems expanded. WSB-TV reported at the time that the Chrisleys owed nearly $800,000 in taxes to the state of Georgia and had declared their residency on numerous public records before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2016.
In 2018, Todd sued Homebanc Mortgage Corporation, Radar Online reported, alleging a “former business partner” forged Todd’s name on the mortgage and made some payments on his behalf. Todd also claimed that the same business partner was the reason he had to file for bankruptcy protection in 2012.
In 2019, the Chrisleys were indicted. After a three-week trial in 2022, the couple was convicted.
In January, the couple was awarded a $1 million settlement after suing the former Director of Special Investigations of the state’s Department of Revenue, alleging he targeted the family after they were cleared of a state tax evasion charge.
The couple is still appealing their fraud and tax evasion convictions.
