Todd Chrisley Was Ordered to Pay $755,000 for Defaming a Tax Investigator

Todd Chrisley has suffered another legal loss – this time for defaming a tax investigation in Georgia.

Chrisley, 54, was ordered to pay the Georgia Department of Revenue investigator Amy Doherty Heinze $755,000 for defamation on social media and podcasts, according to court documents obtained by Us weekly on Wednesday, April 10th.

According to the outlet, a jury found Chrisley liable for two charges of libel and slander, but not liable for a third. Doherty-Heinze awarded compensatory damages of $350,000, punitive damages of $170,000 and attorneys’ fees of $235,000.

After news of her win, Doherty-Heinze was “ecstatic” that the verdict was “in her favor,” according to her lawyer Nicole Wadeaccording to a statement shared with Us On Wednesday.

Related: Everything you need to know about Todd and Julie Chrisley’s fraud trial

More than two years after Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted on multiple counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, the trial of the Chrisley Knows Best stars began in May 2022. Todd, 53, and Julie, 49, appeared in an Atlanta courthouse on May 17 for opening statements, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalize appearing […]

“She is grateful to the federal jury that exonerated her and found in every respect that Todd Chrisley’s allegations against her were false and defamatory,” the statement said. “Amy is particularly pleased that the jury also found that Mr. Chrisley did indeed act maliciously and with the specific intent to harm her. She hopes this sentence will help deter Mr. Chrisley from targeting other innocent people in the future.”

Meanwhile Chrisley’s lawyer Leesa Guarnotta also released a statement on behalf of the Chrisley knows best Alum.

“While we are pleased that the jury recognized that not all of Mr. Chrisley’s statements were defamatory and awarded the plaintiff one-fourth of the damages she sought, we are concerned about the state of the First Amendment in which a case like this would proceed in court could be put “first,” Guarnotta said Us. “We are optimistic about our calling.”

Doherty-Heinze filed her defamation lawsuit against Chrisley in July 2021. In the lawsuit, she alleged that Chrisley launched a social media campaign against the Treasury Department and some of its employees after Todd and his wife, Julie ChrisleyShe was investigated for tax evasion.

Related: Chrisley’s family drama over the years: legal troubles, feuds and more

Let the cameras roll. “Chrisley Knows Best” is certainly not without drama, but its stars have been at the center of more controversy than a single reality show can handle. Fans met Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley and their children – Chase, Savannah and Grayson – when the series premiered on USA Network in March 2014. […]

The couple was investigated by both the state of Georgia and the federal government. In their federal trial, Todd and Julie, 51, were charged in August 2019 with 12 counts of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy. In June 2022 they were found guilty on all charges. Five months later, the two received their prison sentences. Todd received 12 years in prison, while Julie was sentenced to seven years.

In their case in Georgia, the Chrisleys were accused of owing more than $2 million in state taxes between 2008 and 2016. In January 2024, the two won a small victory in their case. Todd and Julie received $1 million in compensation from the state. They also agreed to pay the state $150,000, according to a report Associated Press report at the time.