The Chrisleys’ Accountant, Also Convicted in Tax Scheme, Seeks Own Pardon as His Wife Says Reality TV Couple ‘Not What They Seem’

While President Trump this week pardoned a reality TV couple, Todd and Julie Chrisley, the third person involved with the case, their accountant, was not included and his wife is now lashing out at them and promising a “tell-all” book that will spill their dark secrets.“They don’t deserve a pardon,” Cathie Tarantino told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “They were convicted because they were guilty.”The flashy stars of “Chrisley Knows Best” were convicted of fraud and tax evasion in 2022. Mr. Chrisley had been in the middle of a 12-year prison sentence and Ms. Chrisley was serving a seven-year sentence when they were released from prison on Wednesday.Their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was convicted as part of the conspiracy to help the TV couple evade paying the Internal Revenue Service a half a million dollars in delinquent taxes owned by Mr. Chrisley.Mr. Tarantino was sentenced to three years in prison and was released in November 2024 after serving about 18 months in custody. He remains on parole and says he now plans to ask President Trump to pardon him, too. “I would like to have my voting rights reinstated and pursue getting my license restored,” Mr. Tarantino said. “I think that the prosecution was overly aggressive in charging me.”Mr. Tarantino said he had no idea the Chrisleys were committing fraud and said he hadn’t previously asked for a pardon, in part because he does not have the resources or public platform the Chrisley family enjoys. Ms. Tarantino said he was “collateral damage” and was a victim of “basically guilt by association.”The Chrisleys’ daughter, Savannah, has been outspoken about what she has called the “inhumane” treatment of her parents. She addressed the 2024 Republican National Convention and called the Department of Justice “broken” and claimed they were targeted because of their Christian beliefs. She claimed the judge in the case tried to insult her family by calling them the “Trumps of the South,” but she actually considers it a badge of honor.She documented Mr. Chrisley’s return home to Tennessee Wednesday after his release from a Florida prison camp. The family plans to launch a new reality TV show.As for Mr. Tarantino, he is left to fight for himself. Mrs. Tarantino says the Chrisleys are “not what they seem” and her husband is the one who should have his name cleared. She says her “tell-all” book will come out later this year and it will disclose unflattering details about the Chrisleys and the case.

The Chrisleys’ Accountant, Also Convicted in Tax Scheme, Seeks Own Pardon as His Wife Says Reality TV Couple ‘Not What They Seem’

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