Scamfluencers - The Shady Bunch | Part II

Episode Date: December 26, 2022

The Chrisleys are riding high on their hit reality show and several spin offs, but the cracks are starting to show in their all-American family. Tax fraud allegations have the Feds circling, and some of the Chrisley kids are starting to spill the tea about what’s really happening behind the scenes. When the gossip starts flying, things get ugly real quick. But it’s all a big distraction from the bombshell drama playing out in a federal courtroom. Please support us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, Prime members, you can listen to ScanFlancer's ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. This episode is the second part of our series, The Shady Bunch. If you haven't listened to episode 1 yet, go back and start there. You'll thank me later. And a heads up to our listeners. Today's episode discusses mental health issues and self-harm. Please listen with care. Satchee, you're no stranger to Twitter.com. I'm no stranger to Twitter.com, correct? I have no idea what you're talking about. I have never written a tweet in my life. I know, for a fact, you have sub-tweeted many times, and you have also been the subject of sub-tweets by me. Mostly by you, yeah, I was gonna say. Okay, but imagine the person sub-tweeting you wasn't just any hater, but it was actually your dad.

How would that make you feel? I mean, my dad does have a secret total account, and I found out recently, and quickly had to make him go private and hide it from everybody because he does subdue me there. So this is just my life. Okay, so what happens in this episode isn't exactly that, but the Chrisley simply cannot keep their drama to themselves.

And it all adds up to one big juicy tabloid mess that as you know, I couldn't look away from. I cannot wait to tell you about this. Jody Fleischer's a reporter for Atlantis, WSB TV. She's in her early 40s, her Auburn hair is always perfectly curled, and she's got a TV ready smile. But don't let the smile fool you. She's a serious investigative journalist. And in February 2017, she breaks a huge story about Todd Crisley.

In reality television, Crisley knows best. I make millions of dollars a year. What he doesn't seem to know is where he lives in real life. He has the gold, rose. I have the gold. But Georgia's Department of Revenue may try to take some of it after what we're about to show you. Jody reports that Todd likely evaded Georgia income taxes by claiming to be a resident

of Florida on his federal tax filings, and on his bankruptcy paperwork. It's a pretty brazen claim because Todd's business is based in Georgia, and he stars in a show that's all about life in Georgia. I don't really know how he's gonna get away with this light. It seems very easily fact-checked. Well, Jody drops this bomb just as Chris Lee knows best season five debuts to its biggest audience yet.

2.9 million viewers. And actually, by this point, the Chris Lee's have left Atlanta. Now, they live in Tennessee, a state that happens to not have an income tax. Just like Florida. Todd denies that he's trying to dodge state income taxes. By the way, he claims he's been a Florida resident for more than 15 years and that he's always filed his taxes.

A month later, Jody comes out with another report. And this time, she gets someone close to the family very, very close to talk on the record. Kyle Crissley tauds oldest son from his first marriage. Were you ever really a Florida resident? No, we went there for really vacation for in the summer. Kyle says the family does own a house in Florida and that his father made him and his older sister Lindsey get their learners permits there, but he also thinks his dad is up to something. Things trying to hide money.

He doesn't like to pay what he owes. At this point, Kyle is fully estranged from his parents, and he shares his own theory about what's going on with his dad. I think when you grow up not having money, and then when you finally get some, I don't think you want to give to anyone. I mean, maybe that's true, but there's also a lot of people who were raised with money and are still really stingy like this when it comes to taxes and having to pay their share and like, you know, having to own up to how much income they're making. I don't know if it's really about, you were raised, rich or poor, I think just

some people think they're above the rules. Yeah. Well, Jody reports that the Georgia Department of Revenue has opened an investigation into the Chris Lees to see if they illegally dodged paying almost $800,000 in state income taxes. Not long after, Jody leaves Atlanta for a new reporting gig in DC. But the story she broke is sticking around, and it's going to reveal much more questionable behavior.

Wondery's new podcast, Dis and Tell, wades into the glorious mess of celebrity beef. Each episode explores a different iconic celebrity feud, and asks, What does our obsession with these feuds say about us? Follow this and tell wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to ad free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. Many involved in crypto saw Sandbankman Freed as a breath of fresh air from the usual Wall Street buffs, but in just one month, his crypto exchange would collapse. From Bloomberg and Wondery comes Spellcaster, a new six-part docuseries about the wild rise

and fall of FTX and its founder, Sam Bankman Freed. Listen to Spellcaster on Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. From WonderReq, I'm Sarah Haggi, and I'm Sachi Cole. And this is Scamful Insurs. In our last episode, we followed Todd and Julie Crisley as they built their real estate empire on foreclosed houses and a whole lot of forged banking documents. Somewhere along the way, they became reality TV sensations and projected the image of a modern, all-American family.

But now, their loyal fan base has splintered and America's about to see the wrath and the mess of a crissly house divided. This is the Shady Bunch Part 2. It's August 2017 and Todd's the King of the World, or at least of the USA Network. The Chris Lee's are one of the networks biggest shows along with the WWE. So, USA decides to renew Chris Lee knows best for 6 season and give Todd his own late-night talk show. According to Chris' mind-new show, where I get to say everything that I want to say and

that I can't say on Chris Lee Know's Best. USA Greenlight's Growing Up Chris Lee, a spin-off featuring Chase and Savannah. And a web series, What's Cooking with Julie Chris Lee? We decided to do a girls' night in and cook rather than a girls' night out. And USA wants even more. It's reported that Todd's very close to signing a $75 million production deal for several shows. But while the Chrisley content factory is churning, Georgia tax authorities put $700,000

of leans against Todd and Julie. And the IRS wants theirs too. At this point, Todd and Julie haven't paid federal income tax in years, and Todd owes about half a million dollars. And ever since his bankruptcy wrapped up a couple years ago, the feds have been circling. So, Todd and Julie take steps to protect their TV money. When the IRS asks for copies of all the bank accounts where Todd and Julie have signature authority, the Chrisley's find a workaround. They make Todd's mother, Elizabeth, that's Nanny Fay for all you Chrisley heads out there,

the CEO of Seven Seas Productions. They also make her the 100% stockholder. Okay, so it sounds like they're doing this really shrewd manipulation, which is that they're putting the company in Nanny Faye's name, because when the IRS goes after them, they can't go after the company then,

because the company is not legally theirs. Yes, exactly. And they're working with a new accountant, Peter Tarantino. Peter's a big guy. He looks like someone who played football in college. He's a vocal Christian, like the Chrislies, and he seems to share their love of lying to the IRS.

Peter tells the IRS that Todd's too broke to repay what he owes and denies knowing basic information about the family, like where they live and what banks they use. Seems like no one really knows where they live. They're just floating through Florida and Georgia and California doesn't really matter. Kind of like a no-man's land situation. Yeah. Well, both Georgia and IRS tax enforcement officials are closing in.

Todd's desperate to control the narrative. But his oldest kids are on the outside looking in and ready to tell all about the real world of the Chrisley's. Lindsay Chrisley is Todd's firstborn child from his first marriage. She's 28 years old and has shoulder length, blonde hair and big blue eyes. And though she flies in from Atlanta to appear on the show, She's 28 years old and has shoulder length, blonde hair, and big blue eyes. And though she flies in from Atlanta to appear on the show, she's on it less and less.

She announces on the show that she and her husband are separating, and shortly after in the summer of 2017, she totally falls off the map. Lindsay's off the show for good. She later claims that there was some kind of altercation with her stepmother, Julie, when the camera stopped rolling. Julie later denies this. But either way, Lindsay cuts ties with her family.

Not long after, negative stories about the Chris Lee's start appearing on a celebrity gossip website called Radar Online. They suggest that Todd and Julie's loving marriage is just a stick for TV. That Julie cheated on her first husband to be with Todd and that Julie's a fame-hungry monster on set. I love this family psychodrama playing out on Radar Online. It's where all family conflicts should happen. Yeah, and also it's like, dark.

This is really dark, yes. Well, soon Lindsay and her father are in a full on sub-tweet battle, complete with hashtags like psycho and gloves off. It's incredibly embarrassing. Sachi, you have to take a look at these tweets. Okay, so there's one from Lindsay where she says, everybody starts caring when it's too late.

And then one from Todd saying, like mother like daughter, once a cheater, always a cheater. Hashtag truth may cost you your child, hashtag it's coming out, and hashtag gloves off. You know what? I like it. It's art. This is pettiness art. It's so stupid. While Sachi, things are about to get even more stupid, because Todd Crisley cannot stop, and he's about to make his family the center of a red hot celebrity scandal. In the summer of 2019, about two years after Lindsay left Chrisley knows best, she walks into Sugar's ribs,

barbecue restaurant, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. She's here to meet up with her dad. She says he started texturing her out of nowhere about how she might be able to help him, but she later tells Dr. Phil that the meeting didn't go as expected. I thought maybe he's going to tell me sorry for things that have happened over the past couple of years, but when I got there, it was a completely different story.

I love that Dr. Phil is the moral authority for this family. It really tells us how deep into the Kervas we have entered. Yeah, and the sick part is, Dr. Phil actually might be able to help the Chris Lee's. Hahaha. Someone like him would be able to really reason with these people. They would probably only listen to a TV doctor, yes. Yeah, and Sachi, according to Lindsay,

Todd reveals that he and Julie are about to be indicted. A federal grand jury has accused them of defrauding banks and the IRS, and the state tax evasion case against them is still ongoing. Lindsay shocked when Todd accuses her of triggering the investigation by turning him into the state. She denies having anything to do with it. But Lindsay says Todd asks her to support the family by going along with the story about how she slept with a Georgia State official and gave him false information about Todd and Julie. So Lindsay's father wants her to lie and say she was sleeping with a Georgia State official

and that she gave him bad information about her own dad and that's why there's a tax evasion investigation. Yes, it is crazy. And when Lindsay refuses, she tells Dr. Phil that her dad hits her with a truly shocking twist. That's when I got the warning that Chase had incriminating evidence against me. Chase, remember, is Lindsay's 21-year-old half-brother, Todd and Julie's son. Lindsay's 21-year-old half-brother, Todd and Julie's son. And had obtained this tape for $5,000. At that point, the conversation was over for me.

Okay, this is a worthless group of people. It is so shocking. Todd's allegedly telling his daughter that he'll release nude photos and a sex tape of her unless she goes along with his plan. Jesus. Lindsay follows her lawyer's advice and files a police report about the incident. She claims, quote, there is an ongoing issue with her family threatening and harassing her. I don't know how morally bankrupt you have to be to do this to your kid. That's one of the most depraved things I feel like we've heard in this entire show. Yeah, it is truly bonkers.

And Lindsay is obviously very shaken. She goes back to Atlanta and tries to get back to her life. But she of all people should know that, with the Chris Lee's, the real drama isn't in the courtroom. It's in the family, and it is just getting started. About a month after Todd's confrontation with Lindsay at Sugar's Ribs, he posts something to Instagram. Sachi, can you please describe this post for us? Okay, well this looks like a promotional shot from the show.

And it seems to be all of the family except for Todd's kids from his first marriage. So I guess haven't really been on the show for a while at this point. And then a really long message, like five paragraphs. It's one of the longest pieces of text I've seen on Instagram. Yeah. Okay, well, what is it?

It's Todd's federal indictment announcement. So he and Julie haven't been charged yet, but they must know to expect it any day now. And Todd and Julie want to get ahead of the narrative with their own version of events, which is our business partner ruined us. We didn't know anything. It's all Mark's fault. Okay. Right. So I remember Mark, he was the VP for the Chrisley's company, but he also was falsifying documents for them, and they were really ready to throw him under the bus. But then he also said that he'd been having like an intimate affair with Todd. Yeah, that's exactly who he's talking about. And the very next day, a federal grand jury in Atlanta

indicted Todd and Julie on 12 counts including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Their count in Peter also gets charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing false tax returns. Todd and Julie plead not guilty, pay a $100,000 bond and get permission to travel so they can continue filming their TV show. And while they wait for their trial, Todd and Julie keep running their mouths. They talk about the lawsuit on their podcast, Chris Lee Confessions, and Todd finds escape

goat. They're going to be a lot of things that are revealed regarding how we got to where we are with, you know, the Georgia Department of Revenue, how we got to where we are with the RS and how my ex-wife played a part in some of this with her knowledge of being a whistleblower. Okay. This is a lot of deflection. Also, like, if your argument is my ex-wife told on me, then that means that there is something to tell on, right?

I know. That's the point that I don't understand. Yeah. Well, I mean, his ex-wife isn't the only one Todd's throwing blame on. He also claims Lindsey cooperated with Georgia Tax Authorities and may have even given them information. He makes a not so subtle dig at her on his podcast. Just send tweets out talking about the family. Are you go to radar online and you call your friend up on the phone there and you give them information about the family that's not true. It is a shame that I have raised five children and that the jealousy and the greed and the backstabbing that has been exhibited towards a sibling is unconscionable.

You know, I always think it's interesting when parents talk about how their kids turned out to be fuck ups, but they act as if they had no earthly influence over how their children turned out. So it's like, if you really think that about your kids, then you need to think about what you did. Yeah, it's like his not really even talking about his daughter. It's like he's talking about her, like she's a thing.

Yeah, she's a possession. She's his possession and she's not doing what he wants. Yeah, Todd continuously shows how he feels like he owns his family and what they do and how they behave. And when he feels attacked, it is very clear that it doesn't matter who's attacking him, he will come out guns blazing. And right now, he's about to reach the lowest of lows. I feel like a...

Just days after the indictment, TMZ breaks the story about Lindsay allegedly being extorted over a sex tape by her own father. Lindsay had filed a police report but kept the threat under wraps. But now the world knows, and the scoop from TMZ is pretty earth shattering. Todd immediately goes into damage control mode. He says that he and Chase did not purchase any sex tape, and then later that day, he casually drops another bomb about his daughter's personal life.

He tells E that Lindsay's had affairs with two former Bachelorette contestants, and that story blows up. It's so bad that Lindsay goes on inside addition to publicly respond. This is your very own father saying that you've had these extra-minute little affairs. I think it's disgusting, and I can never forgive it. Just keep thinking about what I would do

of my dad did this, and I would put him in a home so fast. I just can't imagine in any context a father behaving this way. It's genuinely evil. Yeah. Well, here's what Lindsay's lawyer says about it. The first thing he does after being charged with 12 counts of various frauds is to come

out and try to slutshame his daughter. Yep, that's what it is. Those are the words. A few days later, an entertainment tonight reporter approaches Savannah, Lindsay's younger half-sister at an airport. And when they ask her about the extortion claims, she throws a not-so-subtle-day-get-her-dad-and-her-brother chase. Savannah's comments start a whole other new cycle of drama, but you'll notice

that none of it has to do with, say, a federal indictment? Yeah, right. So they just got indicted. Like, why isn't anybody talking about that? Yeah, I mean, it does play like an evil genius plan to distract everyone. And it seems like Todd would rather destroy his own family than own up to anything. Months later, Lindsay actually emails the FBI asking for their help getting a restraining order against her father. But the family will soon be rocked by a much, much more serious scare. Todd's oldest son, Kyle, has the crissly looks. He's blonde with blue eyes and big round cheekbones.

But he's always been a little out of step with his famous family. He's publicly struggled with addiction and mental health issues since he was a teenager. In the very first episode of the show, Todd says he's paid more than a million dollars for Kyle to go to rehab and other treatments. And after the first season, Kyle's taken off the show after Todd says he refused to take medication for his bipolar diagnosis. After that, Kyle's drug use escalates and Todd and Julie get full custody of his daughter. But by the time Todd and Julie are indicted, Kyle Sober and back in the fold with his family. He posts a note to Instagram that walks back all his previous accusations about his dad,

like the time he told an Atlanta news station. Things trying to hide money. He doesn't like to pay what he owes. Now he says it was all a lie. And he claims that his sister Lindsay, along with his biological mother, turned Todd into Georgia tax authorities. He writes, quote, my hope is that my sister Lindsay

will seek the same forgiveness from my daddy as I have, that he is able to forgive her, and that my family will one day be whole again. Okay, so I remain chiefly concerned about the fact that there's a lot of adults who call their father's daddy. I've never understood that, but it is kind of a bonkers reversal. I mean, he really turned it around and now he's like, all about his dad and he's kind of shitting

on his sister a little bit. Yeah, well, I mean, you have to wonder how Todd crissly a master manipulator, what he said to his son, yeah, there's clearly more there. Well, two weeks after the indictment, Kyle attempts suicide. He survives and the family rushes to his side. Todd posts a picture of everyone crowded around Kyle's hospital bed.

Can you just grab this photo, Satchie? It's a whole family standing around Kyle. Todd is behind him, like, reaching over to touch his shoulder. And the caption says, not today, Satan, not today. Kyle is great, and we are back to the grind. What?

Yeah, it is one of the craziest things you could post after someone's suicide attempt. Yeah, like how is he using like hustle and grind language after his son tried to kill himself? It's because it's really all about Todd Crissley in the end and just two weeks after that, Kyle appears on his parents' podcast to explain what happened. Can you tell me kind of what led you to being in the hospital and what my involvement was or if I had any or if any of the family had any? Tell us how you got there. Tell us what happened. Well, I take medication and I had a bad side effect to it and I tried to take my own life.

Oh, this sounds like Kyle is being held hostage in a recording studio. This is so slimy. Yeah, and you'll see that Todd steers the conversation and in different direction as this episode goes on. Tell us about the reporters that have reached out to you wanting to get a story. They pray on the week.

So. And they try to you wanting to get a story. They pray on the week, so. And they try to contact you via Facebook. Yes, okay. All right, Instagram. All right, Instagram. With all the serious threats his family faces, Todd is on a tear to distract the public. But one legal mess is about to be resolved,

and it will confirm all of his worst impulses. About a month after the federal indictment, Todd and Julie settled their tax evasion case with the state of Georgia, but Sachi, there is so much more to the story. Right after announcing the settlement, Todd's lawyers file a lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Revenue's director,

Josh Wates. And based on information Todd's team digs up, Georgia's Inspector General launches an investigation of its own. In a lawsuit, Todd claims Josh specifically targeted the Chris Lees because of their fame. And they produce text messages between Josh and Lindsay, where Josh tries to convince Lindsay to give him the dirt on her family. Then in a deposition, Kyle says Josh arranged for him to speak with Jody, the reporter for

Atlanta's WSBTV, and coached him on what to say. Kyle claims that Josh said if he went along with it, he'd get his daughter back. Okay, so it does sound like Todd was kind of right to some degree, but the conspiratorial element of Josh talking to Lindsay and trying to get information from the family, but it doesn't really make sense that he then says, okay Lindsay, you're gonna tell everybody that you were sleeping

with this guy and that's why you did it. Exactly. It's still disgusting. Yeah, and I mean, the thing is they did what they did and it just seems like this is an extremely overzealous person who wants to get at them in any way possible. Like, Josh is clearly abusing his power and getting way too involved in this weird family dynamic. No one's acting great. No.

And the whole time the lawsuit and investigations have been ongoing, getting way too involved in this weird family dynamic. No one's acting great. No. And the whole time the lawsuit and investigations have been ongoing, Todd's absolutely raging on social media about the alleged corruption of Georgia officials. This is all while Chris Lee knows best seasons, eight and nine air on USA. And growing up, Chris Lee is airing its third season.

Okay, well, is it at least giving them some interesting plot lines for the show? No. Oh, it really isn't. We're not talking like housewives when legal trouble becomes a main story line. Like this literally has no effect on the story lines of the show. They're not even talking about it. No, and in March 2020, about five months after the Chris Lee settled with Georgia and

filed their lawsuit against the Department of Revenue, Josh resigns. His employer apparently found out he'd lied on his resume about having an associate's degree. That is such a stupid, small, embarrassing thing to lie about, like a line about having an associate's degree. Yeah, it's like, just get it, dude. Well, more than a year later, the Inspector General releases its findings, widespread corruption and waste in the department. The report finds a department of revenue used millions and assets they collected

as part of their work to buy vehicles, fitbits, and office furniture. And they include photos of Josh posing with a furniture seized from Todd and Julie that appeared on Chrisley knows best. And Josh had allegedly set up a dartboard or punching bag in the office with Todd's picture on it. Well, that's just funny. It seems like he took the case very personally. Yeah, it's petty hours, I like it. And the tax evasion settlement with Georgia states that the Chrisley's incorrectly filed for just one year, 2009.

So Todd and Julie paid just under $150,000 in back taxes and fees and the state charges are dropped. But the Chrisley's are about to go to trial, and no amount of scrapbooking can get Todd out of it. a no amount of scrapbooking can get Todd out of it. The Federal Courthouse in downtown Atlanta is a rectangular cement nightmare. And on a May morning in 2022, Todd and Julie Christley are inside

for opening arguments in their tax fraud trial. Their kids, Savannah and Chase, are there for moral support. And this trial is a bruise to the Chrisley's ego. Their lawyer immediately establishes that the image presented on Chrisley knows best, the big house, the fancy cars, the walk-in closets, it's all a lie. He argues that actually the Chrisley's were broke the whole time so they weren't avoiding

paying taxes. They couldn't. He says that while Todd was boasting about spending $300,000 a year just on clothes, he was actually in bankruptcy. Meanwhile, lawyers for Peter Tarantino, the chrislies accountant, argued that he's not a criminal. He's just in over his head. They say he's barely qualified to handle the Christie's finances, and that he failed the CPA exam many times. I didn't know this was a valid defense in a criminal court. I will remember that for the future.

They're like, you guys, he's just dumb. I wish being stupid got me out of stuff. It doesn't. It just gets me in more trouble. But Sachi, the real fireworks start once witnesses take the stand, including a seriously unexpected twist. Lindsay testifies in defense of her dad and stepmom.

Oh, Christ. Lindsay says that during the time of the alleged fraud, Todd was too wrapped up in helping her and Kyle with their various struggles to focus on the business. She says she no longer thinks her father was involved in a plan to extort her and doesn't actually think there's any sex tape. And then her testimony takes a turn.

The government's lawyers bring up an email she sent to the FBI, asking for help getting a restraining order against Todd. Lindsay gets so sarcastic in her response that jury members reportedly had outbursts calling her out for her bad attitude. The judge literally stops proceedings to tell her, you're not doing anybody any favors by answering questions like that. Trust me.

The strange thing about this is it sounds really similar to what happened between Kyle and Todd, right? Like, it seems like Todd just gets in the ears of his children and has them change their minds and then they kind of throw themselves in front of a fire for their dad. I don't even know why. I mean, it doesn't seem like they're doing that great of a job of it. No.

And also, Lindsay's not the only chrisly to make an impression in the courtroom. When Todd's mom, Nanny Faye, takes a stand, she says she had no idea that she was listed as CEO of Seven Seas Productions. She says that she never reads things before signing them, and she calls the government's prosecuting attorney honey so many times that the judge has to tell her to knock it off. But everyone's been waiting

for the star witness, Sachi. Mark Brattick. Here we go. When he takes the stand, the government's lawyers come right out with it. They say, Mark is a criminal who forged many documents and defrauded local banks and the US government while he worked for Chrisley asset management, but they say he's been fully cooperating in the case and that the Chrisley's were the real ring leaders. Mark's testimony is crushing. He says the Chrisley's received at least $60 million in fraudulent loans over the course of their scheme. And he says that the only time he impersonated Todd

was at his direction, and he has the emails to prove it. He claims he and Todd had an affair and after that ended a close bond. And that's why he was so willing to bend the law for him. Todd and Julie's lawyers say Mark calm the Chris Lee's and their company by impersonating them, spying on them, and infiltrating their personal emails and phones. And that he did it because he was obsessed with Todd. Here's how Todd characterized Mark's testimony later on Chris Lee's confessions.

You know, our former business partner took the stand and was on the stand for like eight hours and this is public knowledge. And our attorney said, and you did that because you hate these people, getting even for them firing you, did you not? And he said, yes, I did. I generally find if your defense is people are obsessed with me, it's not going to work.

And I'm guessing that it didn't work in this case. I'm waiting for you to tell me how it ends. Well, neither of the chrislies take the stand to try last three weeks and finally the jury comes back with their verdict. Guilty. On all charges of bank and tax fraud. Peter's found guilty too, and Julie's also found guilty of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Todd and Julie face up to 30 years in prison. And they're not done fighting their case. Once they start blabbing about it to everyone, things get even more messy. On June 8th, literally the day after the verdict, USA announces it will still air the second half of the 9th season of Chris Lee Know's Best. This is after they've already renewed Chris Lee Know's Best for a 10th season, and they Greenlit Love Limbo, a dating show hosted by Todd. Meanwhile, Todd and Julie are awaiting their sentencing, and they keep busy even when the

show's not filming. A few months after their guilty verdict, they record several podcast episodes with Lindsay to prove they're no longer estranged. They talk about how they reconnected and Lindsay says there's a lesson in all of this. Some of the things that maybe we would have even said in 2017 or even you know two years ago look very different in the way that I believe any of us sitting here would communicate today. And so a big takeaway for me is keep the stuff off of social media.

Meanwhile, the government is pushing for harsh sentences for Todd and Julie. It seems like they want to make an example out of them. And as they lay out in their sentencing memo, the Chrisley's provided false documents to the grand jury, pressured Nanny Fay into purging herself on the stand, and, quote, successfully manipulated Lindsay into giving variable testimony. The government was not pulling any punches.

Can you read this bit from their filing, Sachi? It says, quote, Todd and Julie Christley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, innovating taxes at every corner. Their empire was built upon the backs of defrauded community banks that collapsed while Todd Christley

used the stolen money to fly to Los Angeles for buy monthly haircuts. This haircut detail is like the straw that broke the camel's back. If he had not done that, I truly think none of this would have happened. Absolutely. It's something that just keeps getting mentioned because it's like, you can say they're playing a role on TV because it's like fictionalized reality TV. And they needed certain things to play that role.

But that is just, it is a bridge too far for everyone. Yeah. And at the sentencing hearing in November 2022, Julie Sobs and tells a judge that she's scared for her kids. She says that their adopted daughter, Chloe, said she didn't wanna live if her mom went away. Much like us, the judge is not moved. She sentences Julie to seven years in prison and gives Todd 12 years.

Peter Tarantino, their accountant, is sentenced to three years. Deadline reports that Chrisley knows best, growing up Chrisley, and other shows they're planning to develop with Todd, like Love Limmo, are canceled. And at the time of this recording, the Chrisley's are planning to appeal their convictions. It remains to be seen whether they'll podcast from prison. While Sachi, we now know more than we ever wanted to know about this wild and shitty, shitty family. I just, I can't wrap my head around the scale of their fraud

and also, like, how long they were doing it. I mean, the really interesting thing about this is that the scam happened long before they were even on TV, which usually happens the other way, right? It's not like, oh, we got caught up in the lifestyle and we felt like we had to keep up with the Joes' is because we were on TV. Now, it's, no, we were full of shit before.

And then we decided to monetize and publicize our entire family by doing this reality show with offshoots and a podcast. Yeah. And you're also just kind of like for what? Like they already had the good deal with Fanny May. Yeah. That was, you know, as gross as it was legitimate. Yeah. They could have just gotten normal rich and like waited to see where it would go and expand their business. And also, they ended up getting a reality TV show.

Like, they were gonna get rich no matter what. Like, it wasn't from a lack of money that this scam happened. It was just pure greed. I feel like we see this in a lot of these scams where it's just sheer hubris. Like people really think that if they get away with something for six months or a year,

or if they get away with like a fraction of the scam, they can get away with the whole thing. They just get arrogant, and they feel like they're untouchable, and then they get famous, and then they're really untouchable, right, because famous people don't go to jail for anything, they just do like community service. And I bet that's what they thought they were going to have to do, that they'd have to pay some enormous fine. And not only do they think they were going to get away with it, like, they were taunting the government basically and their podcasts and their posts about how it

was all fake. And it's just kind of like, oh, they never expected this to happen. And they truly didn't know the power of a judge who hates you. Yeah. They couldn't even change their tune to be remotely likable. No, because they are so delusional, they think they already are. Do you think their fans will stick by them throughout this? Or do you think they're just going to be totally forgotten? I mean, it's a huge sentence, right? It's a lot of years.

So if they're gone for a really long time, then I would be surprised if they were able to sort of recapture fame. But I also am perplexed by how many people love this show and are obsessed with this family. So I'm clearly undervaluing its market share. Yeah, there is a very strong hashtag for the Chris Lee's movement. My last question for you is, who is one reality TV star where if they went to prison,

you'd stand by them no matter what? Teresa, Teresa, Judy, I did and I will. Sorry. I agree listen she could hit me in the head with a table and I'd be like ashes having a tough day Or the other person honestly is Gen shot, but her crime is way worse like her crime is actually quite upsetting her crime is so evil But she's so charming great hats incredible nails Gen shot was convicted of all the terrible things she was accused of, basically. Yeah.

And, you know, at the end of the day, you're still kind of like, I want to know what she's going to wear, I want to know what she's going to do. I want to know what's going to happen, yeah. She has a star quality that Todd Christy just never will have. And I think the lesson here is, if you're going to commit fraud and your reality TV star,

at least be charming and fun. You know, you have to be Gen Shaw delusional. Not Chris Lee delusional. You're gonna be awful, you better be fun. Hey, prime members, you can listen to scam influencers ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen ad free with Wondery Plus and Apple podcasts.

Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey. This is the Shady Bunch Part 2. I'm Sarah Haggi, and I'm Sachi Cole. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover, please email us at scampluncersatwondery.com. We use many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were Haven, O'Recky O'Gretzitz reporting for Insider,

Sarah Heron's reporting for Us Weekly, Kate Stanhops reporting for the Hollywood reporter, and Jody Fleischer's reporting for Atlanta's WSBTV. Paul Schroet wrote this episode, additional writing by Sarah Ennie and Us, Satya Cole and Sarah Hagi. Our senior producer is Gen Swan. Our producer is John Reed. Our associate producers are Charlotte Miller and Lexi Peary. Our associate producers are Charlotte Miller and Lexi Peary. Sarah Enny is our story editor and producer, and our story editor is Allison Weintraub. Our senior story editor is Rachel B. Doyle. Sound design is by Sam Ada.

Fact checking by Gabrielle Drolley. Additional audio assistance provided by Adrian Tapia. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for FreeSonsync. Our executive producers are Janine Cornelow, Stephanie Gens, and Marshall Lui for Wondery. you