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RNC 2024 Day 2: Savannah Chrisley on justice
Reality TV star Savannah Chrisley addressed the 2024 Republican National Convention on its second night. She addressed the prison conditions her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley are enduring, and talked about justice reform.
MILWAUKEE - Savannah Chrisley addressed the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday, where she described the Department of Justice as being "broken."
"72600019, and 72601019. These may be just numbers to you, but to me, they're my whole heart. These numbers are my parents' identification numbers in our federal prison system," the "Chrisley Knows Best" star began.
Savannah Chrisley on parents' sentence
Savannah Chrisley has been outspoken about what she has called the "inhumane" treatment of her parents. Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted in 2022 for conspiring to defraud banks out of over $30 million through fraudulent loans and committing tax evasion. Their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also convicted alongside them. Julie Chrisley received a seven-year prison sentence, which the appellate court recently vacated due to errors in how her role in the scheme was evaluated.
"My family was persecuted by rogue prosecutors in Fulton County due to our public profile. I know Fulton County. They know how to do it, don't they?" Chrisley told the GOP crowd, alluding to former President Donald Trump’s own legal troubles in Fulton County Superior Court. However, her parents’ case was handled by the US District Court of the Northern District of Georgia.
"Due to our public profile and conservative beliefs, they accused my parents of fraud when really we were defrauded by a dishonest business partner who, and let's not forget, the government gave full immunity to. We suffered warrantless rage and harassment, one of the officials even had my father's face on a dart board in his office," she continued.
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Julie Chrisley's prison sentence vacated
A federal appeals court has vacated former reality TV star Julie Chrisley's 7-year prison sentence.
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Todd and Julie Chrisley's conviction
The case involved two main fraudulent schemes: tax evasion and bank fraud. They were prosecuted by attorneys appointed during the Biden administration and a judge who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
Prosecutors say the Chrisleys funneled Todd's income into accounts under Julie’s name and subsequently transferred those funds to family members to avoid detection by the IRS. Tarantino was found guilty of making false statements to federal agents to mislead the IRS.
Prosecutors also say along with Todd’s former business partner, Mark Braddock, the Chrisleys used falsified financial documents to secure loans and lines of credit from various banks by grossly inflating their assets.
Following the couple reporting to federal prisons, Savannah Chrisley would take custody of her brother and sister, ages 10 and 16 at the time.
"You don't know heartache until you look two children in the eyes and say I don't know when mom and dad are coming home," she continued.
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Savannah Chrisley on Hunter Biden
Chrisley claims the judge called her family the "Trumps of the South," something she said was meant as an insult, but she now wears as a badge of honor.
"We live in a nation founded on freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Justice is supposed to be blind, but today we have a two-faced justice system. Just look at what they're doing to President Trump. All the while, let's face it, Hunter Biden is roaming around free and attending classified meetings," Chrisley said.
The 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden was convicted in federal court in June on three felony counts. A federal jury determined he lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He is awaiting sentencing and faces up to 25 years in prison.
He also faces tax charges in California with his trial set to begin Sept. 5. The charges stem from what federal prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to skip out on paying the $1.4 million he owed to the IRS.
Savannah Chrisley: DOJ weaponized by Biden administration
Chrisley accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the Department of Justice to "consistently punish their enemies."
"That's not justice. Look at what they've done to Steve Bannon. I mean, the man should be at home," she said.
She called on holding rogue prosecutors accountable.
"There should be no immunity. We need to expose the Democrats' corruption and, better yet, the Biden family's corruption. And guess what? I know just the man for that job. Donald J. Trump has only one conviction that matters, and that is his conviction to make America great again," she concluded.
Tuesday's theme at the RNC is law enforcement and immigration.
This story is being reported from of Atlanta. The Associated Press contributed to this report