Todd and Julie Chrisley sue their former lawyers, blaming them for losing case that sent them to jail

Reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley are suing former defense attorneys for $25 million, blaming them for losing a criminal case in which they were found guilty of defrauding banks out of millions of dollars.

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 Monday, the celebrity couple accuse 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 of the Chrisleys’ warehouse by the Georgia Revenue Department. 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 says.

“They served time in federal prison. They were separated from each other and from their children,” it says. “They lost their television show and endorsement deals, costing them more than $25 million in income. Their reputations were destroyed.”

“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 compensation, in addition to compensation for their attorneys fees.

A lawyer representing Anulewicz, Patrick O’Connor, said in a statement that Anulewicz had not been served with a lawsuit as of Monday afternoon.

“We are unable to comment on an unserved, apparently pending federal lawsuit,” he said.

O’Connor did not immediately reply to a request for comment Tuesday.

Anulewicz has nearly 30 years of experience in civil and white-collar criminal business cases, according to a biography on the website of his current firm, Bradley. He was also listed in “The Best Lawyers in America” in 2021 and among “Georgia’s Super Lawyers” from 2014 to 2026, according to his bio.

Doug Schneider, a spokesperson for Balch & Bingham, said in a statement that “this complaint will be vigorously defended; however, we are not in a position to comment further on a pending lawsuit.”

In 2019, during the first Trump administration, the Justice Department accused the Chrisleys of bilking banks out of more than $36 million. In 2022, they were convicted of fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven.

Prosecutors accused the couple of defrauding banks before they became reality TV stars in 2014 and using the ill-gotten gains to support a lavish lifestyle in suburban Atlanta. Their television show portrayed them as hardworking, Jesus-loving real estate moguls and ran for 10 seasons.

One of the couple’s daughters, Savannah Chrisley, began pushing for a pardon for her parents before Trump’s second inauguration, according to an attorney for the Chrisleys, Alex Little. Savannah Chrisley also spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, claiming her parents were prosecuted because of their politics and celebrity status.

Since they were released from prison last year, they have starred in a Lifetime documentary series titled “The Chrisleys: Back to Reality,” which premiered in September. Savannah Chrisley has also maintained a presence in the national media, appearing as a guest analyst on “The View” in recent months.