FoxNews: Trump pardons Todd, Julie Chrisley: What to know about reality TV stars

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Trump pardons Todd, Julie Chrisley: What to know about reality TV stars

President Donald Trump pardons Todd and Julie Chrisley, convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion, amid claims of unfair prosecution, bringing relief to their family. Here's what to know about the couple who were released from prison Wednesday.
                       
                       
                           

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were freed from prison after they received a pardon from President Donald Trump on Wednesday. 

Todd and Julie were sentenced to 12 and 7 years, respectively, for bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022. 

The couple You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans as well as tax evasion; their sentences were later reduced. 

On Wednesday evening, Todd walked out of a federal prison in Pensacola, Florida, after serving two and a half years in prison, according to his lawyer Alex Little's office. Shortly after Todd was released, Julie was released from the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. She also served two and a half years.

"Todd has been released from prison and is on his way home to Nashville," Little's office told Fox News Digital, later adding that, "Julie has also been released from prison and is now on her way home to Nashville as well."

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According to the couple's daughter, Savannah Chrisley, her brother Grayson picked up their mom while she met her father in Florida. 

Savannah got emotional outside the federal prison awaiting her father's release earlier in the day.

When speaking to reporters, Savannah said, "Honestly, this process has been absolutely insane, and I am so grateful that I'm going to leave here with my dad." 

Savannah claimed that prosecutors had her father's head "on a dart board" before his prison sentence. She read Trump's pardon to the reporters, which stated an immediate release, and she said she hopes "the prison is going to do that shortly."

Savannah said Trump's pardon for her parents "literally came out of nowhere."

"I was in such shock and awe that the president himself took the time to tell me my family is coming back together," she said. 

WATCH: Todd and Julie Chrisley's daughter Savannah gets emotional awaiting parents' prison release after Trump pardon

Here is a closer look at the Chrisleys and the legal storm that landed them behind bars.

Todd and Julie, along with their children – Savannah, Chase and Grayson – rose to fame after their popular reality series "Chrisley Knows Best" debuted. The show premiered in 2014 on the USA Network and quickly gained popularity due to its mix of humor, family drama and Todd's bold persona.

The Chrisley family, known for their extravagant lifestyle, initially lived in Atlanta before moving their clan to Nashville, Tennessee, during the fourth season.

Todd, whose full name is Michael Todd Chrisley, is the owner of Chrisley Asset Management, and he made millions You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login in addition to his success as a house flipper.

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Before Todd met Julie, he was previously married to his high school sweetheart, Teresa Terry, for seven years. The former couple have two children together: daughter Lindsie and son Kyle.

Julie was also previously married to her high school love, Kenneth Wayne Childress, in 1991 when she was 18 years old. It is unclear when she split from her late ex-husband, but she and Todd tied the knot on May 25, 1996 while pregnant with their first son. She gave birth to Chase Chrisley nearly one week later on June 1, 1996. 

Savannah and Grayson Chrisley are the couple's youngest children, and they had their own spin-off show, "Growing Up Chrisley." The spin-off started in 2019 and aired for four seasons before it was canceled after Todd and Julie's sentencing. 

The couple was initially indicted in August 2019, and a new indictment was later filed. They were found guilty in June 2022 of not only bank fraud and tax evasion, but also conspiring to defraud the IRS.

In the original filing, both Chrisleys were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, five counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of tax fraud. Julie Chrisley was also charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors found the couple guilty of submitting fake documents to banks when applying for loans.

Todd and Julie did see a minor court victory in 2019 when the Georgia Department of Revenue cleared the couple of a $2 million state tax evasion charge stemming from a two-year investigation of nearly eight years of returns beginning in 2008.

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The You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login is now back in the spotlight after Trump announced on Tuesday he planned to pardon Todd and Julie.

"It's a terrible thing, but it's a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow. Is that OK? We'll try getting it done tomorrow," Trump told Savannah and Chase in a phone call from the Oval Office on Tuesday that was posted onto an You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login of a White House aide. 

The post was captioned in part, "Trump Knows Best!"

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login has been advocating for their release since the pair went to prison in January 2023 and reached out to Trump for a pardon earlier this year after their conviction was upheld by a three-judge panel last summer. 

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"Thank you so much, Mr. President," Savannah could be heard saying on the call. Chase, through tears, added, "I just want to say thank you for bringing my parents back." 

Trump told Savannah and Chase to give their parents his "regards and wish them a good life." 

"They were given pretty harsh treatment based on what I'm hearing, pretty harsh treatment," Trump said. "Congratulate your parents, and I hear they're terrific people. This should not have happened." 

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After the phone call with Trump, Savannah posted a video on her Instagram saying she got the call from the president that he was signing pardon papers for her parents.

"So, both of my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow and I still don't believe it's real!" she exclaimed. 

She said she will be "forever grateful" to Trump and his administration as well as her lawyers and everyone else who "put in countless hours" to "make sure that my parents got home." 

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The phone call with the president came two weeks after Savannah was interviewed by Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump on Fox News.

Todd and Julie's children, Chase and Kyle, also shared their excitement about their parent's pardon. 

"I am grateful to God and extremely grateful to President Trump and his entire administration," the couple's son, Chase, said in a statement to the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. "I'm beyond thankful to finally have my parents back home and my family together again!"

WATCH: Chrisley's pardon from Trump will wipe away the case 'entirely,' as if it never happened: lawyer

"I'm ecstatic," Kyle, whose biological mom is Todd's ex-wife, Teresa Terry, told You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. "Truly. I just found out a little bit ago, and I still just can't believe it. I know Savannah had been working at this for so long, and she never gave up. So I'm just grateful to her and to President Trump for making this happen for my dad and Julie."

Meanwhile, since their time behind bars, Savannah has been outspoken on her podcast and social media about her parents' struggle in prison. She has claimed they have been living in You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login and have been mistreated.

After Todd and Julie were convicted of federal bank fraud and tax evasion in June 2022, the couple reported to prison on Jan. 17, 2023. Todd served his sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida, while Julie was sent to Federal Medical Center Lexington in Kentucky.

Little, told Fox News Digital the pardon "corrects a deep injustice and restores two devoted parents to their family and community. President Trump recognized what we've argued from the beginning: Todd and Julie were targeted because of their conservative values and high profile. Their prosecution was tainted by multiple constitutional violations and political bias." 

He added, "Todd and Julie's case is exactly why the pardon power exists. Thanks to President Trump, the Chrisley family can now begin healing and rebuilding their lives."

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson and Tracy Wright contributed to this report.

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