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Joseph Maldonado, also known as Joe Exotic, is once again calling on Donald Trump to release him from prison.
The former big-time feline collector and star of the hit COVID-19 pandemic-era documentary series Tiger King hired a hitman to kill Carole Baskin, a longtime rival in the wildlife conservation field. He has been in jail since 2019 on charges of attempting to hire a man. He was also convicted of killing tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying records.
He was sentenced to 22 years in prison for this crime, but the sentence was later reduced to 21 years on appeal.
In this August 28, 2013 file photo, Joe Exotic answers questions during an interview at the zoo he runs in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Maldonado, 61, maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration, claiming that both the documentary and the charges against him were fabricated in an attempt to oust him and push for stricter federal laws regarding the private ownership of exotic animals, including big cats. He said that it was something.
Maldonado released a letter to Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday, hoping the president-elect’s son will persuade his father to issue a presidential pardon and release him from prison.
“You have been my champion of amnesty since this nightmare began in 2020, when a small group of criminals colluded with a corrupt TV producer with only one goal. “Tiger King,” Maldonado wrote in the letter, which was shared on his website.
The reality TV star and famous lip-syncer called the Netflix series a “hit piece” and said it was intentionally created to make himself and other exotic animal owners look “ridiculous and crazy.” said that it was done.
(Source: Santa Rosa County Jail, AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
He also provided links to two video affidavits proving he was a victim of the conspiracy and implored him to share them with his father to help Trump Jr. seek his release.
“Please take a moment out of your busy life to watch their video confession for 10 minutes. And then take 5 minutes to talk to your father, President Trump,” he wrote.
Joe Exotic famously lobbied the outgoing president for a pardon during the final days of his presidential term, going so far as to have his limousine waiting for him when he was released. That forgiveness was never granted.
He then shifted his focus to urging President Joe Biden to grant him his release, and has since been trying to avoid a prison sentence the old-fashioned way: by running for president himself.
President Trump, who is scheduled to take office on January 21 and will become the second US president to secure non-consecutive terms, has not indicated any immediate plans to grant Maldonado’s release.
“I lost seven years of my life, my parents, and my life’s work,” Maldonado wrote. “The time has come to allow them to return home on January 21, 2025.”
Exotic is also asking the president to be appointed head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, offering to help once he is released.
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