NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Todd Chrisley made his first public appearance after receiving a presidential pardon, maintaining that he and his wife Julie did not commit the crimes they were convicted of.
"Even though this pardon has happened, I still was convicted of something I did not do. It could be you. It could be you. It could be any of you," Chrisley said.
In 2022, a jury found the "Chrisley Knows Best" reality TV stars guilty of federal tax evasion and fraud charges. They were accused of defrauding banks out of more than $30 million.
Todd Chrisley served only a fraction of his 12-year prison sentence before receiving the pardon. His wife Julie, who was sentenced to 7 years, has also returned home.
"There is no $30 million scheme," Savannah Chrisley said.
Standing with his daughter, Savannah, during the press briefing, Todd insisted his family is the victim and vowed to advocate for prison and judicial reform.
"Do I have any remorse? I would have remorse if it was something that I did," he said.
"I have met some wonderful men. I’ve listened to some horrific stories about things that have gone on in our system," Chrisley said. "I will continue to fight for all the guys who I dealt with, and I was blessed to be with in Pensacola. I will continue to expose the injustices there and throughout the Bureau of Prisons."
Julie Chrisley was notably absent from the press briefing. According to Todd, "She's at home with Chloe right now and Chloe will not let her go."
The Chrisleys plan to return to television, with filming having already begun.
"We started filming literally the night we got home," Chrisley said. "It's going to give people a look into the trial and things we went through. We're going to set the record straight and put some documents out there."
The family intends to use their platform and renewed freedom for reform efforts.
"God has said when you know better, you do better. It's our job to expose all of that and make those men and women's lives better," Chrisley said.
While the Chrisleys have a home in Belle Meade, they don't plan to be there full time. Their attorney said they've paid back an estimated $100,000 in restitution to date.
This story was reported by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Have thoughts on the Chrisley case? Email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
