Eddie Gallagher's former non-profit lawyer claims the acquitted Navy SEAL owes him $1MILLION for breaching contract but the military man's wife says 'he dragged the case out, used them to fundraise $750k and did nothing to help free him'

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Eddie Gallagher's former attorney believes the Navy SEAL who was acquitted of war crimes could owe him as much as $1million after he was fired and a new successful defense team was brought in.

Colby Vokey started representing Gallagher in spring 2018. A contract signed in October stated Vokey and co-counsel Phillip Stackhouse would receive 400 per hour and that Gallagher agreed to go into arbitration if a dispute arose between himself and his lawyers.

Now Vokey – an adviser on the board of non-profit United American Patriots – through which arrangements 'to cover attorney fees and case expenses' were made – is suing Gallagher.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports his lawyer claims to have made an undisclosed deal with the Navy SEAL Fund, which had raised $750,000 for the new defense as of this week, in order to claim some of what he says he is owed.

Eddie Gallagher's former attorney believes the Navy SEAL who was acquitted of war crimes could owe him as much as $1million after he was fired. Gallagher is pictured at his homecoming Thursday with wife Andrea

Andrea posted Wednesday that Vokey 'focused more on using our family for fundraising while Colby ran up the bill, and made little progress freeing Eddie'. Andrea claimed Vokey 'tried to push the trial out to November' and they 'felt that he lied, threatened and extorted our family'

Andrea claimed the old lawyers 'dragged the case out' and had 'promised to give Eddie a top-notch legal defense with all expenses paid'

'In our hour of need, Colby Vokey and (non-profit United American Patriots) came in and promised to give Eddie a top-notch legal defense with all expenses paid,' Andrea Gallagher posted on Instagram Wednesday. 

'Instead, they dragged the case out, focused more on using our family for fundraising while Colby ran up the bill, and made little to no progress in actually freeing Eddie.'

Andrea claimed Vokey 'tried to push the trial out to November' and they 'felt that he lied, threatened and extorted our family'.

She added: 'We believe if it were up to Colby Vokey, Eddie would still be in the brig with a trial in November or later.'

New attorneys began representing Gallagher in March and his wife Andrea posted on Instagram that any donations should be made through the Navy SEAL Fund instead.

In July the Petty Officer First Class was cleared of shooting at civilians in Iraq and premeditated murder but found guilty of posing with the dead body of an Islamic State fighter.

The four months' confinement he was sentenced to has already been served, taking into account time prior to the verdict, and he was reduced in rank.

In July the Petty Officer First Class was cleared of shooting at civilians and premeditated murder but found guilty of posing with the dead body of IS fighter. He's pictured enjoying a New York trip with is children

Following a trip to the Big Apple, Mrs Gallagher posted: 'Colby Vokey was supposed to save my husband. Now, he's trying to destroy him'

But they're waiting to find out whether Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson, will change his sentence from a San Diego military jury.

'What makes Colby Vokey's decision to sue my husband all the more reprehensible is Eddie's retirement is still in limbo,' Andrea continued in the social media post. 

'If certain JAGs get their way, he could still get kicked out of the Navy and lose his pension after 20 years of dedicated service and a not guilty verdict on all of the most serious charges… 

'Colby Vokey was supposed to save my husband. Now, he's trying to destroy him.'

It was as the Gallagher family returned from a trip to New York and showed off images Thursday saying their neighbors had decorated their house of their homecoming and Eddie's Uncle Larry made an appearance.

One of the new defense lawyers, Marc Mukasey, said it was 'a really smart' and 'brave move' to go with lawyers from outside the [military] system'.

Civilian defense attorney, Timothy Parlatore, also represents Gallagher.

Colby Vokey and Phillip Stackhouse worked on Eddie Gallagher case for a year. Vokey claims they were to be paid $400 per hour and in October Gallagher signed a contract agreeing to arbitration should a dispute arise

In March, Marc Mukasey (right) and Timothy Parlatore (second right) took over the defense

Mukasey is a personal attorney for Donald Trump and told the Union-Tribune: 'We were able to take a more aggressive approach, rattle cages that needed to be rattled and hold the government accountable.'

But after Vokey's lawyer, Van Shaw, emailed the Navy SEAL Fund to confirm they would pay the legal fees and expenses and threatened to 'take the necessary action' to hold them responsible, Vokey has allegedly struck a deal.

Shaw would not disclose details of the arrangement.

However the Fund said there's no agreement.

'There is not and has never been a contractual or other agreement between Navy SEALs Fund and Colby Vokey or United American Patriots (UAP),' they stated. 'Following a review of UAP activities, we distanced our organization from them and their board member, Colby Vokey. Our reasoning was based on UAP IRS Form 990s showing that less than 20% of donations received go to the mission in support of the Heroes wrongly prosecuted, and it was our impression that UAP’s business model is based on keeping the Heroes locked up or under prosecution for as long as possible to maximize fundraising.'

In July the Petty Officer First Class was cleared of shooting at civilians in Iraq and premeditated murder but found guilty of posing with the dead body of an Islamic State fighter. His rank was reduced and they're waiting to find out whether Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson (pictured), will change his sentence

The statement continued: 'The Navy SEALs Fund refused to partner with or sign any agreement with them despite what we perceived to be multiple extortion threats from UAP’s ~ David Gurfein and Colby Vokey. The latest legal threats have absolutely zero basis in law and we are working with the State of Texas to deal with this unlawful attack on our Veteran run 501c3 charity.'

Gallagher attorney Parlatore called the move 'grotesque' and said to the Union-Tribune on Wednesday: 'Threatening the Navy SEALs Fund is not what anyone would expect from any professional attorney who values representing U.S. service members.'

He claimed that Vokey did nothing to help his client's case in its first year and predicted: 'Mr. Vokey will end up owing Eddie Gallagher money.'