‘Tiger King’ star Joe Exotic fails to get pardon from Donald Trump
FORT WORTH, Texas - Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, will remain behind bars despite a hoped-for pardon from President Donald Trump.
Exotic was made famous last year by the Tiger King miniseries on Netflix and has been very public in his seeking of a pardon.
But when the list of presidential pardons and commutations was released shortly before midnight Tuesday by the White House, his name was not on the list.
Earlier in the day, Exotic and his legal team were optimistic about their chances.
SKY4 found the limo he booked to pick himself up from a prison in Tarrant County that was parked outside of his attorney's office on Tuesday afternoon.
Exotic was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot involving nemesis Carole Baskin as well as violating wildlife laws in the selling and death of some tigers.
Exotic’s attorneys filed a pardon application with the Department of Justice back in September.
Trump issued pardons and commutations for 143 people in the final hours of his presidency. Among the notable names: former advisor Steve Bannon, rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy.
RELATED:
‘Tiger King’ star Joe Exotic books limousine ahead of expected pardon from Donald Trump
'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic seeks pardon from Trump: report
"I'm not going anywhere": Dillon Passage from Netflix's Tiger King stands by husband Joe Exotic