Feds 'Should Have Acted Sooner' to Seize Todd and Julie Chrisley's $1 Million Settlement, Lawyer Says
The government is trying to intercept the the settlement awarded to Todd and Julie Chrisley.
Uncle Sam should have acted quicker if he wanted to block Todd and Julie Chrisley from the $1 million settlement that a judge said was owed to them from the state of Georgia, at least according to one of the incarcerated couple's attorneys, who addressed the issue exclusively with RadarOnline.com.
Jay Surgent with Weiner Law Group said there are several issues with the federal government's attempt to seize the settlement money to help pay off the Chrisleys' $17 million restitution from their fraud conviction, with the most important being that they're a little too late.
The feds want to seize the settlement money to help pay off the Chrisleys' $17 million restitution from their fraud conviction.
"They knew the $1 million was released but didn't do anything about it until now," Surgent told RadarOnline.com after we broke the story that the federal government filed legal documents in an attempt to intercept the money, claiming they only found out about the settlement recently.
The other issue is the majority of the money is allegedly already gone, with the funds reportedly going toward paying off the couple's debt.
In the documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the feds said they believe the settlement funds are being held by a law firm representing the Chrisleys; however, the attorney denied that accusation.
It's important to note that Surgent's law firm is not listed on the documents. The government listed a firm handling Todd and Julie's appeal battle, in which Surgent serves as co-counsel.
The couple was awarded $1 million after suing the former director of the Department of Revenue’s special investigations unit, Joshua Waites, claiming they were unfairly targeted as part of a tax evasion case.
We're told there are several ways that the feds could have intervened — had they acted sooner.
"They should have taken action to block the distribution and argued for the funds" as soon as the settlement happened, Surgent argued, adding, "They took no judicial action before the $1 million was released."
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One of Todd and Julie's lawyers, Jay Surgent, told RadarOnline.com it's a little too late for the government to collect.
As this outlet reported, the Chrisley Knows Best couple was awarded the settlement after suing the former director of the Department of Revenue’s special investigations unit, Joshua Waites, claiming they were unfairly targeted as part of a tax evasion case.
Todd and Julie claimed Waites tried to get information from their estranged daughter, Lindsie.
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Todd and Julie are appealing their convictions, hoping to get their sentences reversed or reduced.
Todd and Julie never received any of the $1 million personally, charged the attorney, whose firm is listed on the documents.
"This money did not go directly to either Todd or Julie, however, and neither of them have received any funds from the settlement. But numerous debts they previously owed, including some reflected in the pre-sentencing financial disclosures, were paid in whole or in part. Given that these payments resolve some of their debt, and therefore change their 'economic circumstances' in 'material' ways, the Defendants believed it prudent to notify the Court and the United States Attorney in accordance with the Judgment," Michael J. Bowers said in his statement when announcing the settlement earlier this year.
The judge has yet to rule on the government's motion to seize the money.
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