Reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley are suing former defense attorneys for $25 million, blaming them for losing a criminal case that found them guilty of defrauding banks out of millions of dollars.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The Chrisleys, known for the USA Network series “Chrisley Knows Best,” were convicted on federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in 2022.President Donald Trump pardoned the celebrity couple last year, freeing them from prison and preventing them from serving over 10 more years collectively.In their new lawsuit filed on Monday, the celebrity couple accuses their former attorney, Christopher Anulewicz, and law firm Balch & Bingham of not being capable of defending them in “one of the most consequential federal criminal prosecutions in the country.”The lawsuit alleges that Anulewicz “had no meaningful criminal defense experience” and took on the case because it represented “publicity, and the kind of high-profile notoriety that brings in business.”The lawsuit centers on a 2017 search conducted by the Georgia Department of Revenue on the Chrisleys’ warehouse.
The Chrisleys say that the search was “illegal” and that Anulewicz waited too long to file a motion to “suppress the derivative evidence” obtained in the search.The consequences for the Chrisleys were “catastrophic,” the lawsuit states.“They served time in federal prison.
They were separated from each other and from their children,” the lawsuits states.“They lost their television show and endorsement deals, costing them more than $25 million in income.
Their reputations were destroyed,” the suit says.“A lawyer with actual criminal defense competence, supervised by a firm that took its professional obligations seriously, would never have let this happen,” it reads.The Chrisleys are seeking $25 million in ...