Goodbye, Lexington. Hello, freedom. Reality TV star earns Trump pardon
There’s a Lexington connection to the controversial pardon of a popular reality TV star who has been released from federal prison.
Julie Chrisley, 52, the star of her family’s show, “Chrisley Knows Best,” was sentenced to seven years in prison for 10 charges related to bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax evasion, wire fraud and obstruction in January 2023.
She was ordered to serve her sentence at the Lexington Federal Medical Center, an administrative-security federal medical center with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp serving 1,304 inmates, according to its website.
Trump announced his intentions to pardon Chrisley and her husband, 57-year-old Todd Chrisley, Tuesday, saying they received harsh treatment, according to the Associated Press.
Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison for similar crimes and was serving his sentence at a minimum-security prison in Pensacola, Fla.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website says Todd and Julie Chrisley are not in custody as of Wednesday. The AP reported that Julie Chrisley had been scheduled for release in January 2028 while Todd Chrisley was to be released in September 2032.
“Chrisley Knows Best” is a reality show that followed the Georgia family, formerly known for their wealth acquired by real estate. The show ran for nine seasons.
The couple’s daughter, Savannah Chrisley, is a vocal Trump supporter and previously endorsed his presidential candidacy in a speech at the Republican National Convention.
An attorney representing the couple, Alex Little, said the pardon “corrects a deep injustice” in which the couple were “targeted because of their conservative values and high profile,” according to the AP.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 12:08 PM.
