


President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he’s planning to pardon TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, famous for “Chrisley Knows Best,” a reality show that followed their tight-knit family and extravagant lifestyle that prosecutors said was boosted by bank fraud and hiding earnings from tax authorities.
The Chrisleys were convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents. They were also found guilty of tax evasion, obscuring their earnings while showcasing a luxurious way of living that authorities said included high-priced cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel.
Prosecutors said the couple walked away from their responsibility for repayment when Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy and left $20 million-plus in unpaid loans. Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Todd Chrisley got 12 years behind bars. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution.
“Your parents are going to be free and clean and I hope that we can do it by tomorrow,” Trump said in a call with their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, according to a video posted online by a White House aide. In a social media post, the aide declared, “Trump Knows Best!”
“They’ve been given a pretty harsh treatment based on what I’m hearing,” the president added a few moments later of the couple.
A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss decisions that hadn’t yet been made public, said the pardons would be forthcoming.
The Chrisleys’ attorney, Alex Little, said the pardon “corrects a deep injustice and restores two devoted parents to their family and community.”“Todd and Julie’s case is exactly why the pardon power exists. Thanks to President Trump, the Chrisley family can now begin healing and rebuilding their lives.”
A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last summer upheld the Chrisleys’ convictions but found a legal error in how the trial judge had calculated Julie Chrisley’s sentence by holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. The appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for resentencing.
Savannah Chrisley spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where she talked about her parents’ imprisonment and that they were “persecuted by rogue prosecutors.”