In a glaring example of America’s two-tiered justice system, “Tiger King” star Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, continues to rot in federal prison serving a staggering 21-year sentence for wildlife violations and a dubious murder-for-hire plot.
Meanwhile, Nicholas John Roske, the man who plotted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, was handed a lenient 97-month term, just over eight years, by a Biden-appointed judge.
Sad day in America when Carole Baskin is 3 times more valuable than a Supreme Court Justice…..@POTUS @JDVance @AGPamBondi you truly need to let this sink in. pic.twitter.com/P5jRbvwD68
— Joe Exotic the Tiger King (@joe_exotic) October 5, 2025
Speaking to The Gateway Pundit from prison, Exotic questioned why Baskin’s life is worth so much more than Kavanaugh’s.
“It proves how screwed up our justice system is,” Exotic said. “Or how powerful Carole Baskin is, one or the other.”
Exotic told TGP that his message for President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi would be, “that someone can threaten to kill a Supreme Court Justice and get eight years, and somebody can be accused, with the accusers admitting to perjury on television, of a made-up crime and get two decades.”
“The concerning part about our whole system is they went on worldwide television on season two of Tiger King and, not only admitted to perjury, but the ‘hit man’ took them to the zoo and showed them how he was going to kill me. Still, I can’t get the White House to respond. That’s sad.”
Exotic lamented how Trump should be the first person to understand his persecution, as he himself has faced over 90 lawfare indictments.
This disparity in sentences between Exotic and Roske should have conservatives fuming over the political bias in the courts. How is it possible that a zookeeper entangled in a reality TV-fueled feud with a liberal activist was hammered with over twice the time as someone who nearly upended the Supreme Court?
Roske’s chilling plot unfolded in June 2022 when he traveled from California to Maryland armed with a pistol, knife, zip ties, and burglary tools, intent on killing Justice Kavanaugh amid the fallout from the Roe v. Wade leak. He pleaded guilty in April to attempting to murder a Supreme Court justice, a crime carrying a potential life sentence.
Prosecutors pushed for at least 30 years, citing the grave threat to the judiciary. Instead, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman opted for mercy, in part because he identifies as transgender, sentencing him to 97 months on October 3.
Contrast this with Joe Exotic’s ordeal.
Convicted in 2019 on federal wildlife charges after being targeted to be made an example of by PETA, and two counts of murder-for-hire targeting Baskin, Exotic was initially slapped with 22 years, later reduced to 21 on appeal. Now 62 and battling prostate cancer, he’s incarcerated at Federal Medical Center Fort Worth.
Exotic insists he’s innocent, claiming the case against him was built on lies, and mounting evidence supports his allegations of witness perjury.
Key government witnesses, including alleged hitman Allen Glover and informant James Garretson, have been accused of perjuring themselves during the trial.
Bombshell text messages uncovered after the trial reveal contradictions in Glover’s testimony; he allegedly admitted to details on the stand that forensic exams later disproved. Some witnesses even confessed to lying under oath in television interviews and public statements, with Exotic’s team arguing this constitutes grounds for a new trial.
A 2023 court filing highlighted Garretson’s alleged false claims about his relationship with Baskin, further undermining the prosecution’s case. Despite these revelations, Exotic lost his latest appeal in July, with the Tenth Circuit Court upholding his convictions.
Exotic has turned to clemency as his last hope.
Earlier this year, Exotic submitted a formal clemency application to the White House, which is reportedly under investigation. He’s publicly begged President Trump for intervention, warning that without commutation to time served, his cancer will kill him behind bars.
Exotic confirmed to The Gateway Pundit that the pardon office contacted his prison to request a status update on him, and the counselor recommended granting him his freedom. Unfortunately, the pardon office has been stalled and has not issued a single one since May.
“I have to get out to tell my story,” Exotic said. “I don’t want to die until I clear my name.”
Supporters are urged to send letters to the pardon office, and Exotic’s legal team cites the perjury scandals as proof of a miscarriage of justice. More information about the scandalous plot against him can be found on his website.
Those who wish to contribute to his legal battle can do so here.
Listen to the latest updates from Exotic’s lawyers below:
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