Trump pardons reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley convicted of $30 million bank fraud

A federal jury in Atlanta convicted Todd and JCJulie Chrisley in June 2022 of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and tax evasion. Julie was also convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors proved the Chrisleys submitted false bank statements, audit reports, and personal financial statements to Atlanta-area community banks to secure more than $36 million in fraudulent loans. U.S. Attorney RKRyan K. Buchanan stated they defrauded banks over the course of a decade.

The couple spent fraudulent loan proceeds on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate, and travel. When the scheme collapsed, Todd declared bankruptcy and walked away from more than $20 million in fraudulently obtained loans.

The Chrisleys conspired to defraud the IRS by hiding income from their reality TV show 'Chrisley Knows Best,' which aired on USA Network from 2014 to 2023. They evaded nearly $2 million in state taxes between 2008 and 2016 and concealed over $1 million from the IRS to avoid paying $500,000 in delinquent taxes.

JEJudge Eleanor Ross sentenced TCTodd Chrisley to 12 years in federal prison and JCJulie Chrisley to seven years in November 2022. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution to the defrauded banks.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Chrisleys' convictions in 2024. The appellate court found a technical error in Julie's sentencing calculation, so Judge Ross resentenced Julie in September 2024 to the same seven-year term.

Their accountant PTPeter Tarantino was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and filing two false corporate tax returns. He received a three-year sentence and was not included in Trump's pardon.

SCSavannah Chrisley mounted a public advocacy campaign for her parents, speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention and appearing on Fox News programs including 'Fox & Friends' and Lara Trump's show. She met with Trump at the White House in February 2025.

Trump called SCSavannah Chrisley from the Oval Office on May 27, 2025, with AMAlice Marie Johnson present, to inform her he was pardoning her parents. The Bureau of Prisons released Todd and Julie on May 28, 2025.

The White House claimed the Chrisleys were 'unfairly targeted and overly prosecuted by an unjust justice system' and that their sentences were 'far too harsh.' Trump's unconditional pardon eliminated their prison sentences, criminal records, and the $17.8 million restitution obligation.