Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley are currently on trial for income tax evasion and bank fraud in federal court. Jury selection began on Monday, May 16, in Atlanta, Georgia.
On Tuesday, Todd’s former accountant Mark Braddock testified that he is Todd’s former gay lover.
Braddock had to tell his own wife about his same-sex affair before testifying in open court.
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Braddock said he had an affair with Chrisley that began in the early 2000s and lasted until Todd fired him in 2012, threw him out and threatened to call police.
Braddock immediately went to the feds and revealed Todd’s criminal activity in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Braddock claims his blind love for Todd convinced him to commit fraud.
Todd’s legal team said Braddock created fake tax documents and impersonated the 53-year-old father of five. But prosecutors believe Todd urged Braddock to create fake tax documents to help him evade income taxes.
The Chrisleys have been married 26 years and share five children, Lindsie, 32; Kyle, 30; Chase, 25; Savannah, 24; and Grayson, 16.
Fans of “Chrisley Knows Best” reality TV series had long suspected that Todd was gay, but he always denied the allegations.
Both Chrisleys are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, five counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of tax fraud.
Prosecutors allege the Chrisleys filed fake documents to get millions of dollars in bank loans, and also submitted a fake credit report and fake bank documents while trying to rent a house for $14,000 a month in California in 2014. The couple allegedly moved into the home then refused to pay rent after a few months.
The indictment alleges they lied about their income to avoid paying taxes to the IRS. Money they received from their reality TV shows allegedly went to a production company they controlled. They failed to pay income taxes on the money for multiple years.
The Chrisleys were indicted in August 2019 and a new indictment was filed in January, The Tennessean reports.
