Todd Chrisley ‘blessed’ and vows to fight for others in the justice system
Reality television star Todd Chrisley speaks as his daughter Savannah Chrisley looks on during a news conference on Friday
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
(CNN) — Todd Chrisley is out of prison but he’s not done advocating for judicial reform.
The reality TV personality addressed a crowd of reporters on Friday, marking his first public event since President Donald Trump pardoned him and his wife Julie after they were convicted in 2022 of conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans.
Chrisley and his daughter Savannah spoke during a press conference in Nashville, where they thanked President Trump and “pardon czar” Alice Johnson for their release.
”I really don’t even remember driving home,” Savannah Chrisley said of receiving the call from Trump informing her of the pardon. “I was in such shock.”
Her father said he received the news from a prison staff member and contacted his daughter to confirm.
“I remember walking back from the phone and just feeling numb,” Todd Chrisley said. “Then after about 10 minutes, all I could think about was the guys that I was leaving behind.”
Some of those men shouted for him to not forget them, he said, and Chrisley vowed he would not.
The “Chrisley Knows Best” stars and their accountant, Peter Tarantino, were also convicted of several tax crimes.
Savannah Chrisley began the press conference saying it “felt like such a dream” to have her parents back home.
“I just appreciate the administration looking into it and seeing the faults within our case, the corruption and just the weaponization of the DOJ,” she said.
She also talked about the family’s plans for the future, which include a new reality show and mission.
“Now we move on to all the other men and women that are in the system and getting them home,” she said. “And I know we’re gonna continue to work. We’re gonna be in DC and mom and dad are now along for the ride because we’re not leaving those men and women behind.”
Todd Chrisley thanked God and those who prayed for him and his wife. He said he was “blessed” and had special praise for his daughter, who used her platform including her podcast and social media to advocate for her parents release.
“As Savannah said, she has fought a long fight. And for any parent to see their child fight this hard, it’s a double-edged sword. It’s a blessing,” he said. “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.”
His experience as an inmate exposed him, he said, to how unfair he believes the justice system can be.
“At this point, God has said, when you know better, you do better,” he said. “It’s our job at this point to expose all of that and to try to make those men and women’s lives better if we can. And that’s what I plan to do.”
The elder Chrisley also addressed the internet’s fascination with how his appearance has changed since he was incarcerated.
“I had nothing to do other than to read and to work out,” he said. “So I worked out every morning at 10:45 a.m. until 12 p.m. with my buddies there and I read. My walk with Christ became deeper.
His daughter confirmed that her parents will be a part of their new planned Lifetime reality show that had already been filming. The 27-year-old also denied that she “paid” for her parents’ pardons, as has been speculated. She added she has found a sense of purpose in her parents’ experiences.
“I hope to work with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and [its director] Billy Marshall and help them expose the corruption because he has vowed to hold people accountable if there has been abuse and corruption to occur,” she said. “I’m extremely excited for that and to work with some organizations, put bills in front of Congress, especially for women who are incarcerated. So that’s kind of our goal.”
The-CNN-Wire
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