Reality television personality Savannah Chrisley took the stage on day two of the Republican National Convention to speak about the incarceration of her parents and the responsibility it forced her to take on.
“72600019 and 72601019 … these may be just numbers to you but to me, they’re my whole heart,” she opened her speech. “These numbers are my parents’ identification numbers in our federal prison system.”
The theme of the night was “Make America Safe Again” and Ms. Chrisley is just one of many celebrity speakers who made an appearance at the convention looking to bring awareness to criminal justice reform.
The 26-year-old is the daughter of Todd and Julie Chrisley, who, as a family are best known for their USA network show “Chrisley Knows Best.” Launching to fame in 2014, the show—which aired until last year—revolved around the lives of the wealthy family stemming from Todd’s self-made success as a real estate tycoon.
“You may have seen my family on TV; but for the past decade, we’ve been consumed with a different kind of drama,” she said.
The couple were indicted in August of 2019 on 12 counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy.
They were found guilty by an Atlanta jury of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans by submitting fake documents. The indictment against the couple also alleges that the Chrisleys sent falsified documents to a homeowner to rent a California property.
The two were sentenced to a combined 19 years behind bars and 16 months of probation but were cleared of the tax evasion charges.
After her parents were jailed, Ms. Chrisley became the head of her household, at 25 years old gaining full custody and taking on the responsibility as a parental figure for her younger siblings.
“I got custody [of] my brother [Grayson] and sister [Chloe] 10 and 16 at the time, and 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.’”
“We didn’t touch anything in my parents’ house till after they left so I moved all the kids’ stuff over to my house. Chloe’s room is like a disaster because we’re just trying to move everything in, and I had to find them clothes to go and visit mom and dad that weekend, and I just broke down,” she said.
“[I] fell to the floor in her room, and I just started crying. And I was like, I am not my mom. Like, I don’t know how I’m gonna do this.”
Unsure of her parenting abilities at the time, Ms. Chrisley said she found the courage and strength within herself to be the best role model for her siblings.
“I look back and I’m like, holy shoot. Like, going from no kids to a ... I don’t wish this on anyone—a preteen girl?”
In recent months, Ms. Chrisley has become a vocal proponent of conservative criminal justice reform, teaming up with former attorney Brett Tolman, who launched the Right On Crime national campaign.
