Following Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley’s presidential pardons, the Growing Up Chrisley patriarch explained why he didn’t have any remorse after their 2022 convictions.
Todd Chrisley is standing by his and Julie Chrisley’s innocence.
After the Growing Up Chrisley patriarch and his wife were pardoned by President Donald Trump, he vehemently denied committing tax evasion and wire fraud.
“I would have remorse if it was something that I did,” Todd—who, along with his wife, was convicted at trial in 2022 after pleading not guilty—explained during a May 30 press conference. “The corruption that went on in our case is going to continue to unfold.”
While he didn’t provide further details about their future legal plans, he did address Julie’s September 2024 apology from her resentencing hearing, in which the judge ultimately upheld her seven-year prison sentence. (Todd and Julie were set to be released in 2032 and 2028, respectively.)
“You’re placed in a position as a defendant to bow down and kiss the ass of the Department of Justice,” Todd told reporters, “and accept responsibility for things that you did not do in order to avoid a stronger sentence.”
After being incarcerated for over two years, the reality star praised their daughter Savannah Chrisley—who took legal guardianship of her younger siblings Grayson, 18, and Chloe, 11, after their arrest—for advocating on their behalf.
“She has fought a long fight, and for any parent to see their child fight this hard, it’s a double-edged sword,” he reflected. “It’s a blessing, and then your heart breaks because your child has been placed in that position to fight for you, when, as a parent, you’re supposed to fight for your children.”
It was a sentiment that the White House Pardon Czar Alice Marie Johnson, who helped facilitate their release, echoed.
“The celebrity part really didn’t play a role in this,” she explained on NewsNation Live. “I’m going to say that if they did not have a daughter like Savannah who was out there fighting for them, they would not have been pardoned.”
“This woman has worked relentlessly for her parents,” Alice—whose sentence was commuted by Trump in 2018 after Kim Kardashian’s criminal justice reform campaign—said. “I know that everyone in prison wishes they had an advocate like Savannah Chrisley.”
For Savannah’s part, she emphasized that she had “done everything” in her “power to fight” for Julie and Todd—who are also parents to son Chase Chrisley, 28, as well as Todd and ex-wife Teresa Terry’s kids Lindsie Chrisley, 35, and Kyle Chrisley, 33—to come home.
“This moment is the answer to countless prayers, and I am beyond grateful to President Trump for seeing the truth and restoring my family,” she continued in her statement to E! News. “Today is a victory for our family, but the fight against wrongful convictions and injustice within our prison system is far from over. I will continue to use my voice and platform to advocate for those who do not have one.”
For a closer look at Todd and Julie’s legal battle, keep reading and tune into E! on June 1 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to catch up on Chrisley Knows Best.
Indicted on Tax Evasion and Other Charges
Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted on 12 counts by a federal grand jury in Atlanta in August 2019 on charges included wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to a document obtained by NBC News. Prosecutors claimed fraud began in the mid-aughts—inclusive of evading nearly $2 million in state taxes between 2008 and 2016 and hiding over $1 million dollars from the IRS.
The day before the indictment was issued, Todd maintained he and his wife were innocent, and instead said a trusted employee had been stealing from and blackmailing the couple.
“We have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of,” he wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “Not only do we know we’ve done nothing wrong, but we’ve got a ton of hard evidence and bunch of corroborating witnesses that proves it.”