Lauren Boebert Praises 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic As He Seeks Pardon
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Colorado U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert said Tiger King star Joseph Allen Maldonado, known widely as "Joe Exotic," has reached out to her office for help with a pardon.
Why It Matters
Exotic gained widespread notoriety during the COVID pandemic when Netflix aired a documentary centered on him and his tiger sanctuary in Oklahoma. Before the documentary's release, he was convicted of two counts of murder-for-hire against Carole Baskin—an adversary in the documentary—and originally sentenced to 22 years in prison. The sentence was later decreased to 21 years.
What To Know
Exotic has curried favor with President Donald Trump in his repeated attempts to serve less time behind bars, including offering his services to help Trump defeat Kamala Harris in last year's election. He even advocated for a Cabinet position in a Trump-led White House.
He's also reached out to various lawmakers, including Boebert.
"Joe Exotic has reached out to me, or at least his team has, in the past and other members of Congress for sure," Boebert told Alex Stein of Prime Time with Stein.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) looks on during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities' policies at the U.S. Capitol on March 05, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) looks on during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities' policies at the U.S. Capitol on March 05, 2025 in Washington, D.C.She referred to Exotic as a "fantastic unifier" during the pandemic, as people were glued to their screens watching his story unfold. She said she watched episodes while sitting on her coffee table due to the intrigue.
"I enjoyed the heartened sentiment of Joe, and since he's been in prison his outreach and even wanting to run against President Trump while in prison is certainly a part of the American grit and spirit," she added. "But we'll see what the pardon team says, and I'll keep putting in words for him."
His efforts to attain a pardon have escalated in recent months for different reasons.
In January, he told Newsweek that his prostate cancer was back out of remission and that prison medical care "sucks." His representatives said at the time that he was no longer receiving treatment for lung or prostate cancer.
His pleas have gone beyond a pardon, however. In May, his 33-year-old husband Jorge Marquez Flores was deported to Mexico for illegal entry to the U.S, after completing a federal prison sentence.
Exotic took to social media in the aftermath, offering to give the U.S. government half his earnings in exchange for a way to reunite and live with Flores in the U.S.
He even offered to purchase one of Trump's $5 million gold cards, in reference to the president's "gold card" program originally introduced as a method to grant U.S. residency to those who invest $5 million in the country.
What People Are Saying
Joe Exotic, in a letter to Trump shortly following the 2024 election: "A lot of people went to bat for you in 2021 who have been living in hell ever since then. Everyone hopes you keep the promises you made during your campaign, which include pardoning everyone sooner than later in January 2025."
What Happens Next
Trump has not acknowledged correspondence from Exotic or hinted toward a pardon.
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