Attorney Kevin Crass, on behalf of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, threatened to sue the city of Springdale, Arkansas for releasing the police report that exposed Josh Duggar's past of molesting underage girls which subsequently led to TLC's cancelation of "19 Kids and Counting," reports In Touch magazine.

In text messages exclusively obtained by In Touch via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Crass tells Mark R. Hayes, the legal services director for the Arkansas Municipal League, "I am a conservative defense lawyer and I don't see a defense of the chief's actions," referring to Springdale police chief Kathy O'Kelley.

Crass continues, "If there is not a desire to resolve there will be an expensive (and embarrassing) lawsuit."

In another text message, Hayes warns city attorney Ernest B. Cate that the Duggars have retained a lawyer and that he advised their spokesman if the family was considering litigation against the city for releasing the report, "they would be well-suited to open discussions with [the] city behind closed doors in light of their being so much out there prior to our release."

According to In Touch, Cate later emailed Hayes, writing, "So is this their strategy, that they are the victims of some liberal conspiracy????"

Washington County officials also feared the Duggar family may take legal action against them, though a redacted police report detailing their eldest son's sexual abuse crimes was lawfully released.

In Touch also reports that Washington County attorney Steve Zega emailed prosecuting attorney Matt Durrett. "I think there's too much money and interest in this for us not to get sued," he said in the email.

Zega encouraged Durrett to give someone in the attorney general's office a heads-up about the matter.

It seems the Duggars plan to fight tooth and nail to recover whatever financial loss they can due to the cancellation of "19 Kids and Counting."

"The family fortune has taken a massive hit -- and they're fighting back against everyone. It smacks of desperation," a source close to the family told In Touch.