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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →In January 2024, reports said the state of Georgia agreed to pay Todd and Julie Chrisley $1 million to settle their civil lawsuit against Joshua Waites, a former Georgia Department of Revenue special investigations official. The suit concerned alleged misconduct in a state tax investigation. It was separate from the federal criminal case against the couple, and a later garnishment filing raised a question about whether they ultimately kept the settlement proceeds.
Why did Georgia agree to pay the Chrisleys?
The Chrisleys sued Waites over alleged misconduct connected to a Georgia tax investigation. In January 2024, the Los Angeles Times reported that Georgia would pay $1 million to resolve the civil lawsuit, attributing the payment arrangement to the couple’s attorney, Alex Little. E! News also reported the settlement, citing a family representative and court documents.
The available reporting establishes the reported amount and general subject of the dispute, but does not provide the signed settlement agreement. It therefore does not establish specific terms such as an admission of wrongdoing, how the payment was allocated, or the exact scope of any release.
Was this the same case as the federal prosecution?
No. The $1 million settlement concerned a civil lawsuit about alleged conduct in a Georgia state tax investigation. The federal prosecution was a separate criminal case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department said a jury convicted the Chrisleys in 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks of more than $30 million in loans and of tax crimes; it said Julie Chrisley was also convicted of obstruction. These are the government’s descriptions of the verdict and trial evidence, not findings made in the Georgia civil settlement.
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| Proceeding | Parties and level of government | Subject and outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia civil lawsuit | Todd and Julie Chrisley sued former Georgia Department of Revenue official Joshua Waites; the state of Georgia was reported to be paying the settlement. | Alleged misconduct in a state tax investigation; reports said Georgia agreed to pay $1 million in 2024. |
| Federal criminal case | Federal prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. | Federal bank-fraud and tax offenses; the jury convicted the Chrisleys in 2022. The DOJ announced prison sentences in November 2022, and AP later reported presidential pardons and release in May 2025. |
The Justice Department announced that Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Julie to seven years in November 2022. Those sentences were later overtaken by a separate development: the Associated Press reported that President Donald Trump pardoned both on May 28, 2025, and that they were released that day. The pardons were not part of the Georgia settlement.
Did Todd and Julie Chrisley get to keep the settlement money?
The available record does not establish how much, if any, of the $1 million they ultimately retained. A federal garnishment filing copy hosted on Scribd described remaining settlement proceeds as property at issue in a garnishment proceeding. It reported a federal judgment balance of $17,208,491.82 as of January 11, 2024. That filing supports saying the proceeds were implicated in the proceeding; it does not establish that the full settlement, or any particular portion, was ultimately seized.
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How does the 2026 lawsuit fit in?
It is another separate case. On June 8, 2026, the Associated Press reported that the Chrisleys sued former defense attorney Chris Anulewicz and his law firm, Balch & Bingham, alleging malpractice and seeking compensatory damages in excess of $25 million. Those are allegations in a newly filed lawsuit, not court findings. AP reported that the defendants had not yet been served at the time and that their counsel said the suit would be vigorously defended. This malpractice case is distinct from both the Georgia civil settlement and the federal prosecution.
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