The couple filed a lawsuit against the director of the Georgia Department of Revenue’s Office of Special Investigations.
Todd and Julie Chrisley have filed a lawsuit against the director of the Georgia Department of Revenue's Office of Special Investigations, alleging that he abused his power as part of an effort to prosecute "bogus tax evasion claims" against them.
In the documents obtained by ET on Tuesday, the Chrisleys claim director Joshua Waites specifically targeted their estranged daughter, 26-year-old Lindsie, in an effort to "induce her to reveal compromising information about her family," and to gain media attention for himself. The Chrisleys claim that Waites pursued "an increasingly aggressive relationship with Lindsie," and improperly shared their confidential tax and grand jury information that he had learned through his position with the Department of Revenue to gain her trust and to intimate her into cooperation.
The lawsuit cites a series of alleged text messages revealing that Lindsie stayed in touch with Waites over a period of at least 18 months, during which he allegedly improperly informed Lindsie of developments in her father’s case and told her about other cases, raids, and arrests in which he was involved, even sharing photos of people he had taken into custody.
"Ultimately Waites's efforts failed, but in the process, the Chrisleys were forced to incur substantial personal and financial hardship," the lawsuit states.
While the lawsuit asks for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as attorney’s fees, according to a statement from the Chrisley family rep, the Chrisleys have pledged to donate any funds they recover in damages to programs designed to assist Georgia taxpayers who have suffered similar ill-treatment.
ET has also reached out to Lindsie's rep for comment. In August, her attorney, Musa M. Ghanayem, told ET in a statement that her client was not the source of information that led to her parents being indicted in August by a federal grand jury for tax evasion and other financial crimes.
"It was reported that Lindsie was the source of the information that led to her father's arrest. That is untrue," the statement read. "She was not the source of this information. Lindsie has been a constant target of lies, harassment and threats from her family and as a result, has been distancing herself from the Chrisley family since 2017. Lindsie is currently processing the events that have unfolded. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and pray for a just resolution. We will have more to say when the opportunity presents itself."
On Oct. 8, the Chrisleys were cleared of their state tax evasion charge, when the Georgia Department of Revenue officially exonerated the couple of the $2 million claim related to their state taxes between 2008 and 2016. The Department of Revenue concluded that the Chrisleys owed no taxes for 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and were due refunds for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The only year they owed money for was 2009, which has since been paid by the family. However, they are still facing federal charges for allegedly evading federal taxes in the same years.
But the drama between the Chrisleys and their eldest daughter extends beyond the allegations of financial crimes. In August, Todd responded to reports that Lindsie filed a police report in Georgia in July and accused him and her 23-year-old brother, Chase, of extorting her over a sex tape. In a statement to ET, he alleged that Lindsie had affairs with Bachelor stars Robby Hayes and Josh Murray.
"It's heartbreaking and shameful that these kinds of accusations have to be aired in public," the statement read. "We have tried to keep Lindsie's extramarital relationships with Robby Hayes and Josh Murray private for her sake since August of 2016. Sadly, for reasons we can only guess at, she ran to the sheriff's office to accuse her brother of buying a sex tape of her and Robby, which was a complete lie, and now she's telling more lies about me. Although our hearts are broken, Lindsie is our daughter and we will always love her."
In a interview later that month, the Chrisley's 22-year-old daughter, Savannah, said she would never forgive Lindsie for her accusations. Watch the video below for more:
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