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Trump set to pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of fraud and tax evasion convictions

Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley TV personalities Todd Chrisley (L) and Julie Chrisley attend the 52nd Academy Of Country Music Awards at Toshiba Plaza on April 2, 2017 in Las Vegas. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is set to pardon reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley, the couple famous for “Chrisley Knows Best,” which followed their tightly knit family and extravagant lifestyle.

A jury in 2022 found them guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion.

In a social media post Tuesday, the White House said Trump called the Chrisley family and said “he will be granting full pardons,” adding, “Trump Knows Best!”

The Chrisleys were found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings while showcasing an extravagant lifestyle that prosecutors said included luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel.

Prosecutors said Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy, walking away from more than $20 million in unpaid loans.

Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Todd Chrisley got 12 years behind bars. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution.

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last summer upheld the Chrisleys’ convictions but found a legal error in how the trial judge had calculated Julie Chrisley’s sentence by holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. The appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for resentencing.

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