Todd Chrisley Speaks Out After Investigation Concludes He Was "Unfairly Targeted" in Tax Evasion Case
Todd Chrisley is speaking out after the release of a report about his tax evasion case from Atlanta's Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
On Tuesday, Sept. 21, the office's report found that the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) misused funds seized in asset forfeiture. The OIG investigation was launched after the lawyer representing Todd and wife Julie tipped off the office about apparent misconduct.
The Chrisleys had been accused of evading close to $2 million in state taxes from 2008 to 2016. In October 2019, the DOR declared that the Chrisley Knows Best stars had actually overpaid in some years and owed less than $77,000 for only one year of incorrect filing.
"We are grateful that the truth is finally coming out, and this is just the beginning to what will ultimately be revealed," Todd, 52, said in a statement released to E! News. "We stand in our faith and have always believed that the truth would prevail. God is the greatest healer and revealer."
The investigation found photos showing Joshua Waites, former director of the DOR's Office of Special Investigations, posing on Todd and Julie's seized furniture, along with messages in which Waites boasted about it. The findings also said that Waites' office filed an improper request with the U.S. Treasury Department to access the reality TV stars' bank accounts.
In its report, the OIG addressed the findings by stating, "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 laws." The report added that the actions "lends credence to Todd Chrisley's complaints that he was unfairly targeted for investigation due to his 'celebrity status.'"
"After an exhaustive investigation, the Georgia Office of Inspector General confirmed there was credible evidence to show Todd Chrisley was unfairly targeted for investigation by the Georgia Department of Revenue because of Mr. Chrisley's 'celebrity status,'" the Chrisleys' attorney, Christopher S. Anulewicz, said in a statement. "Moreover the OIG confirmed that DOR utilized unauthorized means to pursue information regarding the Chrisleys."
The statement continued, "The Chrisleys are grateful for the OIG's efforts, as everyone in Georgia should be. The OIG's efforts brought to light what it called 'an unpleasant chapter of DOR's history,' and its efforts can allow DOR to positively move forward. Unfortunately, the Chrisleys are still dealing with the fallout of this unpleasant chapter. As a result of the combined efforts of the OIG and the Chrisleys, the truth is now revealed."
E! News has reached out to the DOR and Waites for comment and has yet to hear back.
Back in 2019, the Chrisleys were cleared by the DOR of their tax evasion charge. However, the stars remain under indictment by a federal grand jury on charges including tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and aiding the filing of false tax returns.
Following the federal indictment, Todd's attorney told E! News in August 2019 that the allegations were "complete falsehoods."
