Why Did President Trump Pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley? Everything to Know About Their Tax Fraud Case

Todd and Julie Chrisley are being released from situation aft serving much than 2 years for taxation evasion, fraud and conspiracy.

On May 27, President Trump granted Todd and Julie a full pardon.

"It's a unspeakable thing, but it's a awesome thing, because your parents are going to beryllium free and clean," Trump told nan couple's children via a telephone call. "I don't cognize them, but springiness them my regards and wish them bully luck."

The Chrisleys first became family names successful March 2014, erstwhile their USA Network reality TV bid Chrisley Knows Best premiered. The show followed nan wealthy, Southern-based family, including husband-and-wife Todd and Julie and their 5 children — Lindsie, Kyle, Chase, Savannah and Grayson — arsenic they navigated their mundane lives.

Chrisley Knows Best quickly became a instrumentality favorite, moving for 10 seasons and spawning spinoffs, including Growing Up Chrisley. But nan roadworthy to fame and luck for Chrisleys wasn’t without its bumps: The family knowledgeable aggregate trials and tribulations complete nan years, including a $45 cardinal bankruptcy filing and their estrangement astatine times from Kyle and Lindsie.

Their biggest hurdle came successful 2019, however, erstwhile Todd and Julie were indicted connected national charges of taxation evasion, fraud and conspiracy. Todd and Julie were found blameworthy connected each counts successful June 2022 and were sentenced to a mixed 19 years successful national prison.

The legal play was “heartbreaking” for nan full Chrisley family. The ordeal was particularly challenging for Todd and Julie’s eldest daughter, Savannah, who took connected nan work of raising her younger brother, Grayson, and her niece Chloe (whom the Chrisleys adopted successful 2016) while her parents were successful prison.

From their reality TV beginnings to their clip down bars, here’s a look astatine what happened to Todd and Julie Chrisley and wherever they are now.

Who are Todd and Julie Chrisley?

Born successful Georgia and raised successful South Carolina, Michael Todd Chrisley — who goes by his mediate name, Todd — is simply a self-made existent property entrepreneur from humble beginnings. Growing up, his mother, Faye Chrisley, “worked 60 hours a week successful a textile mill to make judge we had everything we wanted and needed,” he wrote successful a 2020 Instagram post.

Todd joined his precocious schoolhouse girlfriend, Teresa Terry, and they welcomed 2 children together: Lindsie successful 1989 and Kyle successful 1991. Following their divorce, Todd wed a 2nd clip to chap South Carolina autochthonal Julie Chrisley (née Hughes) successful 1996, who worked astatine a section bank.

“She’s nan only female who has ever virtually touched my soul,” Todd said astir Julie connected a March 2022 section of their podcast, Chrisley Confessions.

The mates welcomed their first kid together, Chase, a week aft their nuptials. They went connected to person 2 much children — Savannah successful 1997 and Grayson successful 2006 — and raised their increasing family successful nan able Atlanta suburb of Roswell.

Over nan years, nan duo besides weathered challenges, specified arsenic Julie’s bosom crab diagnosis successful 2012 and their ongoing estrangement from Todd’s oldest son, Kyle.

Todd and Julie roseate to fame arsenic nan stars of their eponymous reality show, Chrisley Knows Best, which aired connected nan USA Network from 2014 to 2023.

Billed arsenic nan confederate type of the Kardashians, nan bid followed nan over-the-top family arsenic they lived their lavish manner — first, successful a 30,000-square-foot mansion successful Atlanta; then, successful 2 arsenic opulent Nashville homes — for 10 seasons.

The fame of nan show resulted successful a spinoff series, Growing Up Chrisley, that followed nan lives of Chase and Savannah from 2019 to 2022.

What crimes were Todd and Julie Chrisley charged with?

In August 2019, Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted by a national expansive jury for taxation evasion and different financial crimes, according to tribunal papers antecedently obtained by PEOPLE.

They were charged pinch 12 counts of slope and ligament fraud, taxation evasion and conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that they hid their reality TV income from nan IRS done their accumulation company, 7C's Productions, and evaded astir $2 cardinal successful authorities taxes from 2008 to 2016.

Though nan Georgia Department of Revenue cleared nan Chrisleys of their $2 cardinal authorities taxation evasion complaint successful October 2019, their national charges remained. The couple, who denied immoderate wrongdoing and pleaded not blameworthy to nan charges, headed to proceedings successful May 2022.

“We person thing to hide and person done thing to beryllium ashamed of,” Todd wrote on Instagram successful August 2019. “Not only do we cognize we’ve done thing wrong, but we’ve sewage a ton of difficult grounds and a bunch of corroborating witnesses that proves it.”

He continued, “We cognize that ... nan truth will prevail and nan charges against america will beryllium exposed for nan outrageous lies they are.”

Who other was progressive successful Todd and Julie Chrisley’s crimes?

The Chrisleys’ accountant, Peter Tarantino, was besides implicated successful their alleged financial crimes. He was charged pinch 1 count of conspiracy to defraud nan United States and 2 counts of willfully filing mendacious taxation returns.

At trial, Tarantino’s lawyer said that his customer was not a criminal but an unqualified accountant who was “in complete his head” erstwhile it came to handling nan Chrisleys’ finances, according to Business Insider. The lawyer besides noted that Tarantino had "failed nan CPA exam galore times complete 20 years.”

But nan individual astatine nan halfway of nan national lawsuit against Todd, Julie and Tarantino was Mark Braddock, nan Chrisleys' erstwhile business partner.

Braddock was fired by nan Chrisleys successful 2012 and later turned them into nan FBI. He cooperated pinch nan prosecution and testified against nan Chrisleys during their 2022 proceedings in speech for immunity for his engagement successful their crimes, which included submitting clone documents to banks to exaggerate nan Chrisleys wealthiness — in bid to get much than $30 cardinal to money their able lifestyle.

“They made up documents and they dishonesty done their teeth to get immoderate they want, whenever they want it,” Assistant US Attorney Annalise Peters told nan assemblage successful her opening statement, Business Insider reported.

However, Todd’s attorney, Bruce H. Morris, blamed Braddock for impersonating Todd and committing nan fraud down nan couple’s back. Todd besides revealed connected their Chrisley Confessions podcast that Braddock admitted to acting retired of revenge while testifying astatine their trial.

What was nan verdict astatine Todd and Julie Chrisley’s trial?

On June 7, 2022, aft a three-week trial, Todd and Julie were recovered blameworthy of slope and taxation fraud.

The Chrisley Knows Best stars were convicted of conspiracy to perpetrate slope fraud, conspiracy to defraud nan United States and taxation fraud. Julie was besides convicted of ligament fraud.

“Both Chrisleys are devastated and disappointed pinch nan verdict and will beryllium pursuing an appeal,” Steve Friedberg, nan Chrisleys' lawyer, told PEOPLE successful a statement. “Julie and Todd are truthful grateful for nan emotion and support shown by their family, friends and fans. They some stay beardown successful their religion and will proceed nan 'fight' until they are vindicated.”

The Chrisleys’ accountant, Tarantino, was besides recovered blameworthy of conspiracy to defraud nan United States and willfully filing mendacious taxation returns, per Business Insider.

What were Todd and Julie Chrisley’s sentences?

A national judge handed down nan Chrisleys’ sentences successful November 2022. Todd received 12 years successful situation and 16 months probation, while Julie received 7 years successful situation positive 16 months probation.

Meanwhile, their accountant, Tarantino, was sentenced to 36 months successful prison.

The erstwhile reality tv stars began to service their situation sentences connected Jan. 17, 2023. Todd checked successful to nan Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, while Julie reported to nan Federal Medical Center successful Lexington, Ky.

Why did President Trump pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley and erstwhile will they beryllium released from prison?

In February 2025, Todd and Julie's ineligible squad announced their intent to record a ineligible petition for a statesmanlike pardon.

“They judge that nan president will earnestly see pardoning some Julie and Todd Chrisley arsenic a consequence of nan unfair curen they received successful nan criminal justness system,” Jay Surgent, an lawyer for nan Chrisleys, told NBC News astatine nan time.

President Trump issued nan couple's afloat pardon 3 months later. The mates are expected to beryllium released from situation successful nan coming days.

"[Trump is] ever pleased to springiness well-deserving Americans a 2nd chance, particularly those who person been unfairly targeted and overly prosecuted by an cruel justness system," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said successful a statement, per NBC News.

The mates were initially sentenced to a mixed 19 years down bars, but received shortened situation sentences successful September 2023.

Todd’s clip down bars was trim by astir 2 years, pinch his merchandise day pushed up to Jan. 22, 2033. Julie’s condemnation was reduced by 14 months, pinch her merchandise day bumped up to Oct. 19, 2028.

The Chrisleys appealed their convictions and hired caller counsel successful July 2023 successful an effort to reverse their situation sentences. The ineligible squad argued that location was misconduct that occurred during nan Chrisleys’ original trial, but nan 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld their convictions successful June 2024.

However, nan sheet of 3 national judges vacated Julie’s seven-year situation sentence for taxation evasion and slope fraud. The appellate tribunal recovered that nan original proceedings judge had miscalculated her condemnation by holding her responsible for nan full slope fraud scheme, which began successful 2006. The judges, though, recovered insufficient grounds to beryllium that she was progressive earlier 2007.

In a move of events, Julie's original sentencing of 84 months aliases 7 years was upheld successful September 2024. A judge astatine nan United States District Court for nan Northern District of Georgia ruled that her original reward was sufficient. Julie was besides fixed 5 years of supervised merchandise and complete $4.7 cardinal successful restitution, USA Today reported.

What happened to nan Chrisleys’ reality shows?

Following Todd and Julie’s sentencing for their national financial crimes, their 3 reality shows — Chrisley Knows Best, Growing Up Chrisley and Love Limo — were reportedly canceled.

Episodes of play 10 of Chrisley Knows Best, which were filmed earlier nan mates went to prison, aired successful February 2023.

However, successful August 2023, nan Chrisley family revealed that a caller reality series was successful nan works. The Untitled Chrisleys Project was officially greenlit by Lifetime successful May 2025 — conscionable days earlier Todd and Julie were granted a statesmanlike pardon.

The show is slated to premiere later this year, and nan family will beryllium "exposing nan earthy truth of their lives — past and present."

What person Todd and Julie Chrisley said astir life successful prison?

Todd and Julie’s life down bars was a “nightmare,” according to their boy Chase. In a July 2023 section of his Unlocked podcast, which he hosts pinch his sister Savannah, Chase described nan allegedly “inhumane” conditions his parents faced successful prison.

“They some person nary air, nary aerial conditioning,” he claimed. “They’re some successful states wherever it gets 100-plus degrees, and there’s nary aerial conditioning.”

Savannah added, “I mean, aerial conditioning is nan slightest of it whenever you’ve sewage achromatic mold, asbestos and everything, lead-based paint, snakes.”

Todd himself elaborated connected nan “filthy” conditions successful an question and reply connected nan news show Cuomo successful November 2023.

“It is truthful disgustingly filthy. The nutrient is literally, I’m not exaggerating — nan nutrient is dated, and it’s retired of day by, astatine minimum, a year,” he said. “It’s a twelvemonth past expiration. And they are virtually starving these men to decease here. These men are getting — I don’t cognize — they are getting a 1000 calories a day."

Adding to nan Chrisleys’ misery was their inability to regularly communicate pinch each other. The couple, who were successful prisons 650 miles apart, were incapable to constitute letters aliases speak connected nan telephone to each other. The brace only communicated via email, but it was often “delayed,” Savannah said.

“I miss Todd truthful overmuch that it hurts. I’ve ne'er gone this agelong without talking to him,” Julie wrote successful a missive from situation sent to Savannah.

Todd and Julie taught classes while incarcerated to shave clip disconnected their sentences, Savannah revealed successful an October 2023 section of nan Unlocked podcast.

The First Step Act (FSA) classes supply inmates pinch credits for “an early release.” According to Savannah, her begetter taught financial classes (“how ironic,” she noted), while her mother taught a real property course.

In October 2024, Todd's attorney, Jay Surgent, told PEOPLE that nan reality prima was removed from his occupation arsenic an Assistant to nan Chaplain aft he was recovered to beryllium "associating pinch inmates" who are successful nan prison's Residential Drug Abuse Program.