Todd and Julie Chrisley: Understanding the Reality TV Stars Trump is Pardoning

Former President Donald Trump revealed on Tuesday his decision to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, the reality TV personalities known for their show “Chrisley Knows Best,” who were convicted of bank and tax fraud in June 2022.

Trump communicated the pardon to the Chrisleys’ children, Savannah and Grayson, via a phone call from the Oval Office on Tuesday. According to a statement from White House spokesperson Harrison Fields to TIME, “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.”

“It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing because your parents are going to be free and clean,” Trump stated during the call, according to a video shared 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 children expressed their gratitude to the President during the call.

NBC Universal, the parent company of USA Network, the channel that aired “Chrisley Knows Best,” has not yet responded to TIME’s request for comment.

Here’s what you should know about the reality TV couple.

What are Todd and Julie Chrisley known for?

Todd and Julie Chrisley rose to prominence with their reality TV show, “Chrisley Knows Best,” which premiered in 2014. The series centered on Todd, a wealthy real estate developer and entrepreneur based in Atlanta, along with his wife, their five children, grandchild, and Todd’s mother, Nanny Faye Chrisley.

In 2020, “Chrisley Knows Best” was USA Network’s most popular original program, with an average viewership of over 2 million across various platforms in the month following its season 8 premiere.

A spin-off show, “Growing Up Chrisley,” was also broadcast but was canceled after the couple’s convictions, along with “Chrisley Knows Best.” The family is scheduled to appear in a Lifetime docu-series, announced on May 21, focusing on their lives since Todd and Julie Chrisleys’ imprisonment.

What did Todd and Julie Chrisley go to prison for?

After being on television for nearly a decade, the couple faced legal issues related to several instances of bank and tax fraud.

The Chrisleys were accused of not filing tax returns or paying taxes between 2013 and 2016, and of conspiring to defraud banks in the Atlanta area of over $35 million in loans by providing false documents. Prosecutors alleged that the couple tried to avoid paying their debts after Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy, despite their luxurious lifestyle and income from the show. Additionally, Todd Chrisley reportedly evaded paying $500,000 in taxes to the IRS.

Following a jury’s verdict finding them guilty on all charges, Todd Chrisley received a 12-year prison sentence, while Julie was sentenced to seven years. The couple was also ordered to pay over $15 million in restitution.

They began their prison terms in January 2023, serving two years before the announcement of their presidential pardons.

Why is Donald Trump pardoning the Chrisleys?

Trump claims he has never met Todd and Julie Chrisley, though a White House spokesperson confirmed that the President had met their daughter, Savannah.

Alice Marie Johnson, the President’s “pardon czar,” brought the case to Trump. Johnson’s role involves presenting cases for presidential commutations to Trump. Johnson herself had previously received a pardon after serving over 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.”

Notably, the Chrisleys were prosecuted in Fulton County, Georgia, the same county that prosecuted Trump for election interference.

Savannah Chrisley to express her gratitude to the President, describing the pardon as 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.”

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