The lawsuit alleged that Waites committed misconduct in connection with his investigation of the Chrisleys, and it was filed shortly after the federal government indicted the couple on fraud and tax charges.

The settlement came after the State of Georgia agreed to pay $1,000,000.

The family’s lawyer, Burr & Forman Partner Alex Little, issued the following statement: “We have been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had real problems. This settlement is an encouraging sign. It’s nearly unprecedented for one arm of the government to pay money to defendants when another arm is fighting to keep them in jail.”

The Chrisleys’ appeal of their criminal convictions will be heard by the federal appeals court in Atlanta in April.