Todd and Julie Chrisley have lengthy maintained that their mixed 19-year federal jail sentence for financial institution and tax fraud was on account of political persecution as a result of they supported President Donald Trump.
Now, a brand new report from Selection throws doubt on these claims. Particularly, the report notes how the couple’s daughter, Savannah Chrisley, went on a podcast in September 2023 and mentioned, “The prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, began off the trial by stating, ‘Girls and gents, what we have now listed below are the Trumps of the South.”
This declare has been regularly repeated by the Chrisleys over the previous 18 months and longer, with Savannah long-maintaining her dad and mom have been handled unfairly on account of their help of Trump. In the end, this led to Trump pardoning Todd and Julie on Could 28.
Nevertheless, in line with court docket information obtained by Selection, in addition to statements from jurors and others current on the trial, Trump nor politics ever got here up within the trial.
“Politics by no means got here up. Trump by no means got here up,” juror Glenda Hinton instructed the outlet. “It was strictly a fraud case. There was no politics.”
Peter Tarantino, the Chrisleys’ former accountant who was additionally convicted on the trial for submitting false tax returns, additionally confirmed that Trump’s title was by no means introduced up as soon as in the course of the proceedings.
“I sat by three weeks of trial testimony and I by no means heard that mentioned,” Tarantino acknowledged, noting how it might have precipitated an uproar from Chrisley’s protection if it had. Tarantino, who served 18 months and who was not pardoned, additionally identified how “They have been indicted in the course of the Trump administration.”
Selection notes how there isn’t a point out of Trump or politics by anybody inside the whole 3,400-page trial transcript.
Responding to the report, Savannah instructed the publication that the “Trumps of the South” remark was made in a “assembly” among the many choose and attorneys. She additionally mentioned the jury was not current however later added she couldn’t recall in the event that they have been current or not. As for why there was no point out within the transcript, Savannah mentioned, “There have been lots of issues the choose had redacted.” Selection states there aren’t any apparent redactions.
Todd and Julie have been indicted on expenses of tax evasion and conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud in 2019. They acquired their jail sentences in 2022 and commenced serving their time in January 2023. Todd was sentenced to 12 years at FPC Pensacola, whereas Julie was given a seven-year sentence at FMC Lexington.
Regardless of the claims of “political persecution” on account of supporting Trump, the Chrisleys solely started talking publicly about their MAGA help following the sentencing. In 2016, Todd mentioned he was not impressed with Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, and Savannah famous on a current episode of her Unlocked podcast that she was “not concerned in politics actually in any respect” till two years in the past.
The political bias argument didn’t come up within the preliminary trial nor within the appeals, together with a separate continuing the place Todd and Julie claimed to have been focused by a state tax investigator on account of their celeb standing. The state tax investigator is a Republican.
Nevertheless, upon their launch final month, the couple’s attorning, Alex Little, mentioned Trump had acknowledged that his purchasers had been “focused due to their conservative values and excessive profile.”
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