White House Addresses Tiger King’s Joe Exotic Requesting Pardon

by

Joe Exotic will remain in prison until further notice. 

As a lifestyle advisor, I’d put it this way: Recently, I’ve been following the news surrounding the Tiger King docuseries and the petition for a pardon from its subject, who is currently incarcerated in Florida due to his attempted murder-for-hire conviction against Carole Baskin. However, I can share that, at this point, there has been no official response from President Trump or the White House regarding this matter.

As a lifestyle expert, I can assure you that I don’t indulge in guesswork about potential pardons that might or might not be issued.

Before the executive branch made its statement, Exotic (a person convicted of 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire in 2020 but who maintains his innocence) accused Trump of granting pardons to Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley over their 2022 tax fraud convictions, before providing assistance to him.

The 62-year-old wrote on the 27th of May, “It seems that simply being innocent isn’t enough in America.” He added this comment after a battle with late-stage prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2021. Despite others admitting to perjury on live television, he finds himself struggling with cancer before receiving any assistance.

He stated, “It’s clear to everyone else but the White House won’t admit it – they’ve deceived me and they know it.

After receiving the message, numerous individuals expressed their backing for Exotic’s pardon, as one user stated on X, “@realDonaldTrump grant freedom to Tiger King.

Another individual speculated that it might occur swiftly, expressing, “I sense you’ll soon be among those granted clemency; just keep holding on.

However, although Exotic is aiming to be released from his prison term, set to conclude in 2041, it’s important to note that his years in custody haven’t solely been marked by hardship.

It turns out that the previous proprietor of large cats revealed recently that he got married to another inmate within a prison.

On April 21st, Exotic expressed deep pride by saying, “I’ve never been more proud of someone,” accompanied by a picture of himself and his partner, Jorge Flores Maldonado, both in matching suits at their wedding.

As for the Chrisleys, read on for all the details on their legal case.

In August 2019, Todd Chrisley and his wife Julie were charged with 12 offenses by a federal grand jury in Atlanta. The charges include wire fraud, conspiring to commit bank fraud, and defrauding the United States, as reported by NBC News. Prosecutors allege that their fraudulent activities started in the mid-2000s and involved several instances of tax evasion and hiding income from the IRS. Specifically, they are accused of avoiding paying approximately $2 million in state taxes from 2008 to 2016, as well as concealing over $1 million from the Internal Revenue Service.

On the day prior to the issuance of the indictment, Todd asserted that both he and his spouse were blameless. Instead, he alleged that a reliable employee was embezzling from and extorting the couple.

He asserted in a social media post that he has no secrets and is not embarrassed about his actions. In addition, he confidently stated that there is substantial proof, along with numerous supporting witnesses, to back up his claims of innocence.

Three years passed before the stars of Chrisley Knows Best found themselves standing trial. Over a span of three weeks, testimonies were presented, and despite initially pleading not guilty, they were found guilty on all charges related to tax evasion and bank fraud on June 7, 2022.

It was claimed by the U.S. attorney’s office that the two individuals and their accountant, Peter Tarantino, whom they were tried alongside, had devised a plan to deceive banks out of approximately $30 million over a ten-year period.

In Keri Farley’s statement from June 2022, she pointed out that when individuals resort to deceit, dishonesty, and theft, regardless of their status or wealth, justice remains impartial. She emphasized that such actions driven by greed ultimately lead to unfavorable outcomes, as demonstrated by the guilty verdict on all charges for these three defendants, reiterating that financial crimes do not yield a profitable outcome in the end.

After a span of five months, the Northern District of Georgia handed down sentences: Todd received a 12-year prison term, while Julie was given a seven-year sentence. (Meanwhile, Peter was sentenced to serve three years in prison.)

For approximately ten years, the accused individuals swindled banks out of vast sums of money, around tens of millions, all while avoiding paying their federal income taxes. This was stated by U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan in a November 2022 declaration. The severity of their sentences underscores the extent of their criminal act and should serve as a deterrent to anyone considering misusing our country’s community banking system for illegal personal enrichment.

In September 2023, the lengths of Julie’s and Todd’s sentences were reduced. Julie is now set to be discharged a year and a half before her original 2024 date, while Todd will be freed two years ahead of his initially planned 2035 release.

Jay Surgent, the attorneys for Todd and Julie, shared with Insider in September 2023 that they are exemplary inmates who have been given unusually long sentences. He mentioned that Todd’s sentence has been reduced to 10 years, while Julie is currently serving a five-year term.

In January 2023, the pair both began their individual prison terms. Todd was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Pensacola in Florida, while Julie served her sentence at a separate federal penitentiary in Lexington, Kentucky.

Six months following the incarceration of both Julie and Todd, their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, gave an update on their well-being. She disclosed that, unfortunately, there was no communication between them while they served their sentences in separate prisons.

195 days passed with no contact between us, as expressed on her August 2023 Instagram post. My heart aches… Can you assist in seeking justice?

She also pushed back at rumors about their time in prison.

She found it amusing when one of them commented, “He’s let himself go,” as she shared on her Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley podcast. If I were to meet him now, I would tell him to keep it that way because he looks great! The prison barber has done a fantastic job on him.

Nonetheless, Todd voiced his concerns about the treatment he received at the federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, even though he was confined within bars.

He mentioned during a call on the December 2023 edition of Cuomo that the food was no longer good, as it had surpassed its expiration date by a year.

He went on to say, “There are rats and squirrels infesting the storage facility where the food is kept. They concealed it with plastic sheets, only to rip open the ceiling due to black mold damage. This action led to the discovery of a deceased cat in the roof, which unfortunately fell onto the food.

Going beyond the terrible events in the cafeteria, he claimed that someone had also tried to blackmail his loved ones.

He pointed out that someone had taken a photo of him as he slept and sent it to his daughter. He then requested $2,600 per month for their mutual protection.

Savannah, currently responsible for her younger siblings Grayson and Chloe due to her parents’ incarceration, shared the emotional burden caused by their convictions and distance from each other.

In a conversation with TopMob News in March 2024, she disclosed that their last conversation took place the day they both entered federal prison. She added that there seems to be a significant amount of retribution directed towards her father due to our vocal stance on the prison conditions.

Indeed, she claimed that the prison authorities were impeding a significant amount of his email communication with her mother.

Instead of focusing on herself, she acknowledged that the situation sometimes felt overpowering for her.

In my recent podcast episode of Unlocked, shared in April 2024, I expressed a sentiment that might resonate with many – the struggle I face when those close to me, such as my parents, seem to move forward with life without them. Similarly, I’ve experienced this sense of detachment with certain individuals in my own life; it feels like they carry on living their lives as if nothing has changed.

She went on saying, “I’m finding it hard to breathe here, juggling various aspects of life. Be it the financial strain with the children, or simply trying to be a good parent, or dealing with my own relationships.

In June 2024, a three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Julie’s seven-year prison sentence, despite her previous convictions. The court found that the judge presiding over her 2022 trial had incorrectly calculated her sentence as a reality star.

In their decision, the judges explained that the district court failed to specify the evidence it used to convict Julie for losses prior to 2007. Since we cannot find this evidence in the record ourselves, they decided to overturn Julie’s sentence and send the case back to the district court. The district court is now required to establish the facts and calculations needed to determine Julie’s loss, restitution, forfeiture, and then resendence her accordingly.

The decision regarding the modification of her sentence was delegated to a lower court, whereas Todd’s sentence remained unchanged.

After having her prison sentence overturned three months ago, an Atlanta court eventually confirmed Julie’s initial seven-year prison term. In a heartfelt manner, she expressed remorse, not only to the court but also to her children.

Julie expressed her thoughts before the court, stating, “Over a considerable period of time, I’ve pondered on what I wished to express. I regret my actions and circumstances that have contributed to our current situation.” She further added, “These past 20 months in prison have been impactful, but the lead-up to this trial has held even more weight for me. I apologize for my actions that led us here today.

She’s made every possible effort to reconnect with her family. She’s even learned new abilities, like operating a forklift and serving food professionally, she explained. This part of her life has been incredibly challenging. She can never fully compensate her children for what they’ve endured, and for that, she expresses deep regret.

The Chrisley family is returning home. On May 27, 2025, they received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, as he shared with Savannah during a phone conversation.

Over the last two and a half years, Savannah has been tirelessly working to secure my parents’ release and bring them back home, as she expressed in a statement to TopMob News. This long-awaited moment is the answer to many prayers, and she is deeply thankful to President Trump for recognizing the truth and reuniting her family.

They were both released on May 28, 2025.

Read More

2025-05-29 04:47