Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known as Joe Exotic, is seen at the zoo he used to run in Wynnewood, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Share this @internewscast.com

(The Hill) – Joe Exotic from “Tiger King” is once again expressing his disappointment with President Trump. Exotic is upset over the decision to pardon reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley for their fraud and tax evasion convictions, while Exotic himself received no such clemency.

“You are either rich and connected or you’re poor and being trafficked by the system,” stated Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, in a series of posts uploaded to his Instagram account on Tuesday, criticizing the pardons.

“I guess being innocent is not enough in America,” he remarked in another post shared on social platform X. “They all admitted to perjury on world television, yet I’m left to die of cancer before I can get any help.”

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known as Joe Exotic, is seen at the zoo he used to run in Wynnewood, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known as Joe Exotic, is seen at the zoo he used to run in Wynnewood, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

He added in separate X post, “I don’t have a million dollars but I would give it if I could get out to work.”

In other posts on both platforms, the 61-year-old “Tiger King” star insisted he is innocent, claiming he “did not hurt anyone” and “did not pay anyone.”

Maldonado’s criticism comes after Trump pardoned the stars of “Chrisley Knows Best,” a reality series that lasted from 2014 until 2023. The couple was convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion charges in 2022.

The ex-zoo owner has been serving a 22-year federal prison sentence since 2020 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin, who also appeared in the Netflix documentary series. A federal judge resentenced Exotic to 21 years in prison in 2022.

He has been calling for a pardon from Trump since the president’s first term in office. He also pressed former President Joe Biden to offer him clemency while he was in office.

Maldonado has made a point to voice his displeasure almost every time a new pardon is announced. In January, he criticized the president and his predecessor after the former president granted pardons to some members of his family and Trump granted clemency to roughly 1,500 rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. 

“If I was a crack dealer, maybe if I broke in the [Capitol] … or even have been related to the Bidens. I might have gotten some relief on being in prison innocent,” he said at the time.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Former US fighter pilot Maj. Ryan Bodenheimer claims he nearly collided with UFO in 'wildest experience' he's ever had

Ex-US Fighter Pilot Maj. Ryan Bodenheimer Describes ‘Wildest Encounter’ with Near UFO Collision

A former US fighter pilot describes an encounter with a UFO as…
Two men convicted in Pennsylvania mayoral race election fraud case hit with harsher sentences than expected

Pennsylvania Election Fraud: Two Men in Mayoral Race Receive Unexpectedly Severe Sentences

A judge handed down harsher prison sentences to two men who confessed…
Everything you need to know about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran

An In-depth Look at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Iran’s Supreme Leader Explained

A week after Israel initiated an unexpected assault on Iran with the…
LA protests: Newsom plans to sue Trump over National Guard protest deployment

Court Permits Trump to Maintain Control of National Guard in Los Angeles

The court determined that it is probable the President appropriately used his…
12-foot alligator killed after attacking a girl at Lake Waccamaw.

12-Year-Old Girl Attacked by 12-Foot Alligator in Shallow Water; Friends Flee in Panic and Warning Issued

A GIRL has been attacked by a massive alligator while she played…
BTS military discharge countdown: BTS members Jin, Jimin, Jung Kook, RM, V, J-Hope and Suga done with South Korea military service

BTS Members Finish Military Service: Countdown to Jin, Jimin, Jung Kook, RM, V, J-Hope, and Suga’s Return

SEOUL, South Korea — Suga, a rapper and lyricist from the internationally…
Security camera image of a car at night.

Elderly Driver’s Car Plummets Down Rome’s Iconic Spanish Steps in Shocking Incident – Claims He Was ‘Confused’

THIS is the bizarre moment a driver takes his car for a…
Juneteenth celebrations commemorate the end of slavery

Honoring Juneteenth: Celebrating the Abolition of Slavery

The federal holiday marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers brought…
Before and after photos of Iran's Arak heavy water reactor following Israeli airstrike

Transformation of Iran’s Arak Heavy Water Reactor Post Israeli Airstrike: Before and After Images

Satellite imagery has revealed Iran’s Arak heavy water research reactor with a…
Muscular man standing on a rock.

“Billionaire Donor’s Legacy: Each of His 106 Children to Inherit £160 Million”

THE billionaire founder of Telegram has made a new will – splitting…
Thermal image of an explosion.

Tense Scene as Iran’s Nuclear Reactor is Destroyed in Israeli Strike – with Trump Targeting ‘Mount Doom’

THIS is the dramatic moment Israel blows up one of Iran’s nuclear…
Are banks open on Juneteenth? What's open, closed on the federal holiday

Bank Hours on Juneteenth: What’s Open and Closed on This Federal Holiday

While the majority of businesses will remain open on Thursday, there are…