Though Todd Chrisley and his wife Julie have settled their $2.1 million tax evasion case with the state of Georgia, a former Georgia Department of Revenue employee has now filed a different sort of suit against Todd. Amy Doherty-Henize, who claims she was not a major player in the tax evasion case against the Chrisleys, filed a defamation lawsuit against Todd after he accused her of various criminal undertakings on both his podcast, Chrisley Confessions, and social media. The Chrisley Knows Best star has hit back at the suit through his attorney, who called the lawsuit “frivolous.”
‘Chrisley Knows Best’ Star Todd Chrisley Sued For Libel
In 2019, Todd and Julie Chrisley settled their $2.1 million tax evasion case with the state of Georgia after agreeing to pay about $148,000. The case, which began in 2017, was complicated by Todd’s claims that the evidence against them had been illegally obtained if not outright fabricated, as well as internal scandals in the Department of Revenue, which might explain why the Chrisleys were able to settle the case for such a comparatively low amount of money.
Todd sued the director of the office of special investigations for Georgia’s revenue office, Joshua Waites, claiming he had unfairly targeted the reality star family in order to garner media attention. Waites resigned from his post in March of last year after he came under investigation for listing a degree from a fictional college on his job application. A judge overseeing the suit dismissed five of the six violations the Chrisleys listed in their suit, but the remaining one is still pending.
More Details About The Chrisleys’ Latest Legal Woes
In this latest lawsuit, Amy Doherty-Henize, who’d previously worked underneath Waites, claims she has suffered a blow to her reputation and experienced “emotional and mental distress” due to Todd’s public accusations against her. Despite her insistence that she was not a major player in the Chrisley tax evasion investigation, Todd has insinuated that Doherty-Heinze has “misappropriated taxpayer funds,” is “professionally unqualified” and “obtained her job… through nefarious means.”
The lawsuit called these allegations “false” and “defamatory.” Todd also accused Doherty-Heinze of using taxpayer money to go to Disney World during a work trip. She pushed back on this claim in the lawsuit, explaining that her sister, a Disney employee, got her into the park for free using a family pass. According to court documents, Doherty-Heinze is seeking at least $75,000 in damages.
Chrisley Attorney Hits Back
In response to the lawsuit, Christopher Anulewicz, an attorney who represents Todd Chrisley in various legal matters, called it “frivolous,” adding, “It’s merely an attempt by Ms. Doherty-Heinze to silence Mr. Chrisley about an issue of substantial public importance. Mr. Chrisley will vigorously defend his free-speech rights.” The case is still ongoing, so Gossip Cop will update the story as new developments become available.
