Who Are Todd and Julie Chrisley, Whom Trump is Pardoning?
Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on April 2, 2017. Credit - Jordan Strauss—Invision/AP
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would be pardoning reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, a couple best known for starring in the show 'Chrisley Knows Best' prior to their convictions for bank and tax fraud in June 2022.
Trump delivered the news of the pardon to Savannah and Grayson Chrisley, the couple's children, via phone call from the Oval Office on Tuesday. 'The President is always pleased to give well-deserving Americans a second chance, especially those who have been unfairly targeted and overly prosecuted by an unjust justice system,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told TIME in a statement.
"It's a terrible thing, but it's a great thing because your parents are going to be free and clean," Trump said on the call, according to a video shared on X by White House communications advisor Margo Martin. "We'll try getting it done tomorrow, so give them—I don't know them—but give them my regards and wish them well. Wish them a good life." Both of the children thanked the President during the call.
NBC Universal, the parent company of USA Network, where 'Chrisley Knows Best' aired, did not immediately respond to TIME's request for comment.
Here's what to know about the reality TV show couple.
Todd and Julie Chrisley skyrocketed to fame following the release of their 2014 reality TV show, 'Chrisley Knows Best.' The television series followed the life of Todd, an Atlanta-based multimillionaire real estate developer and entrepreneur, and his wife, five children, grandchild, and mother, Nanny Faye Chrisley.
The show was USA Network's #1 original program in 2020, averaging more than 2 million views across platforms for the first month after its season 8 premiere, according to PR Newswire.
A spinoff called 'Growing Up Chrisley,' also aired, but was cancelled following the couple's convictions along with 'Chrisley Knows Best.' The family is set to star in a Lifetime docu-series, announced on May 21, centering on their life since Todd and Julie Chrisleys' imprisonment.
After nearly a decade on air, the pair faced legal trouble for a number of bank and tax fraud offenses.
The Chrisleys were charged with failing to file tax returns or pay any taxes from 2013 to 2016, as well as conspiring to defraud Atlanta-area banks of more than $35 million in loans by submitting false documents. Prosecutors claimed that the couple attempted to avoid paying off their debts after Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy, despite their lavish lifestyle and earnings from the show. Todd Chrisley also allegedly evaded $500,000 in taxes to the IRS.
Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and Julie to seven after a jury found them guilty on all counts. The pair were also ordered to pay more than $15 million in restitution.
They began serving their sentences in January 2023, meaning they were in prison for two years before the announcement of their presidential pardons.
Trump denies having ever met Todd and Julie Chrisley, though a White House spokesperson confirmed that the President had met their daughter, Savannah.
The case was brought to Trump by Alice Marie Johnson, the President's 'pardon czar,' whose job consists of presenting cases for presidential commutations to Trump. Johnson was previously a recipient of such a pardon after spending more than two decades in federal prison for a first-time drug offense.
In his statement to TIME, Fields, the White House spokesperson, described the sentences against the Chrisleys as 'far too harsh.'
The Chrisleys were also notably prosecuted in Fulton County, Georgia, the country that prosecuted Trump for election interference.
Savannah Chrisley took to X to thank the President, calling the pardon a moment that is 'bigger than just my family … it's about an administration that believes in second chances, that restores families, and that brings hope back to the American people.'
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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