Trump to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality TV stars convicted of bank fraud
From the Oval Office, the president called the couple's children to tell them the news.
Julie Chrisley and Todd Chrisley/ Everett Collection.
Donald Trump assured that he would pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, who went from being reality TV stars to being convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. From the Oval Office, and accompanied by Alice Johnson, whom the president pardoned during his first term, he called the couple's children to tell them the news.
The White House released a video of Trump speaking to the children, to whom he told them that their parents received "a pretty rough deal."
"Your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow. I don’t know them, but give them my regards," the president added. As for Johnson, Trump named her as his "pardon czar."
In mid-2024, an Atlanta jury found Todd and Julie Chrisley guilty of defrauding banks of $36 million, as well as concealing millions in proceeds from their program, "Chrisley Knows Best." Subsequently, a federal appeals court upheld their convictions.
Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in 2024.
"My family was persecuted by rogue prosecutors in Fulton County due to our public profile. I know Fulton County. They know how to do it, don't they?" (...) Due to our public profile and conservative beliefs, they accused my parents of fraud when really we were defrauded by a dishonest business partner who, and let's not forget, the government gave full immunity to. We suffered warrantless rage and harassment, one of the officials even had my father's face on a dart board in his office," she told GOP delegates in Milwaukee.
Alice Johnson, Trump's "pardon czar"
Specifically, she was convicted of multiple crimes, including money laundering, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and delivery to structure a monetary transaction.
According to her version, she only allowed people involved in these crimes to use her cell phone and kept money for one of the people involved. While in prison, she volunteered at a hospice and even wrote plays.
Trump commuted her sentence on June 6, 2018, and granted her a full pardon on Aug. 28, 2020. Kim Kardashian and Jared Kushner were instrumental in bringing Johnson's case to the then-president.
"You've been an inspiration to people, and we're going to be listening to your recommendation on pardons," Mr. Trump told Johnson on Thursday. " You're going to go over and you're going to be — you're going to, she's going to be my pardon czar, okay? And you're going to find people just like you that should not this should not have happened. It should not have happened. So you're going to look and you're going to make recommendations, and I'll follow those recommendations, okay? For pardons. All right?" Trump told her in February.
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