Todd Chrisley’s former business partner said they paid a blackmailer $38,000 to keep their affair a secret

• Todd Chrisley’s previous business enterprise associate testified they experienced an personal connection.

• The affair, and romantic thoughts for Chrisley, was driving his willingness to dedicate fraud, he stated.

• Chrisley’s legal professional mentioned in his opening that Braddock was “obsessed” with his customer.

Todd Chrisley’s previous business enterprise companion testified in his federal fraud trial Tuesday that they compensated a blackmailer $38,000 in money soon after the nameless individual threatened to expose their intimate connection.

Mark Braddock, who turned Chrisley and his wife Julie into the FBI, told an Atlanta jury that he experienced an affair with Chrisley for about a yr in the early 2000s. Soon after their intimate partnership ended, they had formed a “brotherhood” and were shut pals right until 2012, he testified.

At some place when Braddock was doing work for Chrisley’s foreclosures administration enterprise, Chrisley Asset Management, they started out acquiring anonymous text messages threatening to expose them for fraud, as well as out their mystery affair, Braddock testified.

The texts said “pay dollars and we’ll shut up,” Braddock testified.

Braddock mentioned he then designed four $9,500 withdrawals from the business account. He then achieved Chrisley in a parking garage and gave him the income “in a very little bag” to pay out the blackmailer.

Federal prosecutors have accused Todd and his wife, Julie Chrisley, who star in the United states of america Community reality series “Chrisley Is aware Most effective,” of evading taxes and running a conspiracy to defraud banking institutions by producing it show up that they ended up wealthier than they had been to reside an extravagant life style they could not pay for.

When the banking institutions caught on to them, the Chrisleys filed for personal bankruptcy, walking absent from $20 million in financial debt, and the few went on to hide dollars from the IRS, prosecutors say.

Braddock, who informed the FBI that he dedicated bank fraud on behalf of Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, and himself, reported that he experienced inner thoughts for Chrisley even following their extramarital affair finished.

Those people feelings – which produced when the two confided in each other during their affair — performed a part in why Braddock was inclined to commit fraud on Chrisley’s behalf, Braddock testified Tuesday.

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Braddock, who was specified immunity from prosecution, has admitted to making phony paperwork and publishing them to banking institutions for fiscal obtain. He also admitted to sending e-mails and making cell phone calls impersonating Todd Chrisley, with his understanding.

Braddock and Todd Chrisley experienced a slipping out in 2012, and haven’t spoken given that Chrisley locked him out of the place of work and threatened to have him arrested.

After the falling out, Braddock grew to become vengeful, he admitted in court docket.

Braddock went on to make pretend e mail addresses under pretend names, which he utilised to mail incriminating facts about the Chrisleys to the government and news businesses, he admitted on cross-evaluation.

Chrisley’s lawyer, Bruce Morris, alleged in his opening statement that Braddock was “obsessed” with Todd Chrisley and preferred to be him.

Morris implied in his cross-assessment of Braddock that he thought he was Todd Chrisley.

Braddock, nevertheless, denied that was the circumstance and stated the two ended up in an intimate connection. 

Neither Chrisley’s family members, nor the jury, had a palpable reaction to the testimony.

Todd Chrisley publicly dealt with rumors about his sexuality in the earlier, stating they failed to bother him.

In buy to be offended by people accusations, he reported in a 2017 interview, “it would necessarily mean that I will not agree with someone being homosexual.”

“I am flattered that folks consider I can get laid on both of those finishes. So, that isn’t going to trouble me,” Chrisley stated in the interview. “And my wife surely is flattered that as many adult males want her husband as there are females.”

Braddock, even though, testified Tuesday that he did not want to be speaking about his affair publically and that his partnership with Todd Chrisley was the initial time he experienced been with a man.

He experienced to tackle the situation with his wife before he was called to testify, he told the jury Tuesday.

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