Reality television stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were pardoned Wednesday by President Trump. The couple have been incarcerated since 2022 after being found guilty of bank and tax fraud.
Todd Chrisley, 57, has been serving a 12-year sentence at Florida’s FPC Pensacola minimum-security men’s federal prison with a release date of April 2032, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Julie Chrisley, 52, meanwhile, has been serving a 7-year sentence at the FMC Lexington prison in Kentucky, with a release date of January 2028, the BOP says.
Scott Taylor, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, told CBS News in an email that both Todd and Julie Chrisley were released from prison Wednesday.
Who are Todd and Julie Chrisley?
The married couple gained prominence on the reality show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which debuted on the cable channel USA Network in 2014. The show depicted the wealthy couple — Todd Chrisley made his money in real estate — as they dealt with issues such as child-rearing and their careers.
The show was described as “humorously voyeuristic” by Common Sense Media. The program ended after 10 seasons in March 2023, after the Chrisleys were sentenced for tax and bank fraud.
What were the Chrisleys convicted of?
The pair were indicted in 2019 on charges including conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in loans, with a federal jury convicting them in June 2022. The couple was also convicted of conspiring to defraud the IRS, along with additional tax crimes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia said at the time.
The jury found that the couple submitted fake bank statements and other financial records to obtain personal loans, which they then used to buy luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel.
“After spending all the money, Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy and walked away from more than $20 million of the fraudulently obtained loans,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in 2022 after their conviction.
Meanwhile, the couple concealed their income from their reality TV show from the IRS to avoid paying nearly $500,000 in delinquent taxes. The Chrisleys also failed to file tax returns and pay taxes from 2013 through 2016.
“These convictions should send a clear message regardless of your fame or notoriety, everyone will be held accountable for paying their fair share of taxes,” said James E. Dorsey, special agent in charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, in a statement on the Chrisley’s convictions.
Why did Trump pardon the Chrisleys?
In a call Tuesday with the couple’s children, Mr. Trump said the couple received “pretty harsh treatment, based on what I’m hearing.” He added that he doesn’t know the Chrisleys personally.
According to the statement from the Chrisley’s law firm, the pair had sought a presidential pardon earlier this year by alleging “serious misconduct by the government, including an illegal raid, reliance on tainted evidence and a trial that featured false testimony from a key government witness.”
Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, was a speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention, with the law firm noting that she “publicly thanked President Trump for standing up against political prosecutions and fighting for families like hers.”
Their lawyer, Alex Little, said in the statement that the Chrisleys were targets because of their political views.
“This pardon corrects a deep injustice and restores two devoted parents to their family and community,” Little said. “President Trump recognized what we’ve argued from the beginning: Todd and Julie were targeted because of their conservative values and high profile. Their prosecution was tainted by multiple constitutional violations and political bias.”
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