Joe Exotic, the controversial star of Netflix’s Tiger King, is suing the United States Department of Justice over his request for a presidential pardon being denied. Exotic has been making headlines recently after his attempt to secure a pardon from Trump were revealed, but in an interesting wrinkle, it appears that Exotic already knew he wasn’t getting sprung by the president back in September. According to the New York Post, Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, sent a request to the Office of the Pardon Attorney on September 8 and was shot down via email just two days later. However, his lawsuit claims the request was never presented to Trump and therefore the denial is invalid. Via the New York Post:
In the complaint, Exotic alleges that [Acting Pardon Attorney Rosalind] Sargent-Burns never forwarded a formal recommendation to the president — something the lawsuit alleges she was required to do as an adviser, due to the fact that Trump has the sole authority to issue pardons. The complaint also names Donald Trump Jr. as a supporter.
“Many people have come out and publicly expressed their disagreement with Joe Exotic’s conviction and subsequent sentence. Among those, are members of the President’s own family. Donald Trump Junior has been an advocate for Joe Exotic to be Pardoned.”
Exotic is currently serving a 27-year-sentence for numerous charges for animal abuse and two counts of murder-for-hire after trying to have animal activist Carole Baskin killed, but that hasn’t stopped him from appealing to Trump for pardon through any means necessary. That includes reaching out to Kim Kardashian in hopes that she’ll place a call to the president on Exotic’s behalf. “I do believe that you hold the values of our justice system dear to your heart,” he wrote in a letter to his fellow reality star.
(Via New York Post)