Dropping Bombs

Joe Exotic Called Me From Prison | What He Says Will SHOCK You

12 min
May 14, 202620 days ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Joe Exotic calls from federal prison to discuss his conviction, claims of prosecutorial misconduct, and appeals for clemency. He alleges evidence suppression, inadequate legal representation, and reveals he received no compensation from the Netflix Tiger King series despite its viral success.

Insights
  • Public defenders provided minimal representation (3 pre-trial meetings) and called only one witness (PETA attorney) despite Joe's 30-person witness list, suggesting systemic failures in indigent defense
  • Joe Exotic claims prosecutors suppressed evidence and violated constitutional rights, with motions pending before the Supreme Court for a new trial
  • Despite Tiger King's global viral phenomenon generating significant revenue, Joe received zero financial compensation and cannot afford to sue Netflix due to their resources
  • The criminal justice system appears to have structural inequities where wealth determines access to adequate legal representation and pardon eligibility
Trends
Growing public skepticism about prosecutorial conduct and evidence handling in high-profile casesDisconnect between media virality and actual financial benefit for subjects featured in true crime documentariesIncreased awareness of inadequate public defender resources and their impact on trial outcomesSocial media and podcast platforms becoming primary channels for incarcerated individuals to maintain public voice and seek clemencyPattern of pardon accessibility correlating with political connections and financial resources rather than case merit
Companies
Netflix
Produced Tiger King documentary series that generated significant revenue but did not compensate Joe Exotic
PETA
Called as witness by prosecutors in Joe's trial despite being on opposing side of animal welfare disputes
People
Joe Exotic
Federal prison inmate discussing his conviction, legal appeals, and clemency requests from Fort Medical Center in Texas
Brad
Host conducting interview with Joe Exotic from prison, discussing his case and seeking additional interviews
Eric Good
Producer of Tiger King documentary who allegedly knew Joe was broke and unable to sue Netflix
Peter Tickman
Took Joe's case pro bono to help with appeals and clemency efforts
Donald Trump
Joe claims Trump acknowledged his case twice and said he would look into a pardon
Joe Biden
Joe claims Biden deported his husband, contrary to public perception that Trump was responsible
Quotes
"They got on world television on Netflix and admitted that they made it up."
Joe ExoticEarly in call
"I didn't get a dime from Tiger King. Who's making all that money?"
Joe ExoticMid-interview
"I've never been in trouble. I never even had a speeding ticket."
Joe ExoticDiscussing background
"I just need a voice. I'm begging for help."
Joe ExoticEnd of interview
"The prosecutors suppressed evidence. That's why I motioned for a new trial with the Supreme Court."
Joe ExoticLegal discussion
Full Transcript
This call is from a federal prison. You couldn't help but to see Tiger King. And then the next thing you know, you know, this Joe Exotic is in prison. And then it's like, well, what the hell happened? Why are you in prison? They got on world television on Netflix and admitted that they made it up. Your zoo was in Oklahoma, correct? Yes, sir. And you would open it up to, you know, visitors and people walking through there all the time. Oh, yeah. Yeah, every holiday, I opened it for free. I mean, my patient was about money and I was... I didn't get a guy. Who's making all that money? This call is from a federal prison. You will not be charged for this call. This call is from... Joe. This call will be recorded and subject to monitoring at any time. To accept this call, press 5. To block this call, in all future calls, You may begin speaking now. Yes, sir. What's happening? Not much. How you doing, man? Man, if I was any better, I'd be twins. I would say, how are you? But I already know the answer. Fucking prison, man. What prison are you in? Damn prison. Ford Medical Center in Ford, Texas. Interesting. And what is the goal of me interviewing you? You know, I just need a voice. I can't believe that these guys got on world television and not only admitted to perjury, but the hitman that the government supplies and used to put me in here, took them to the zoo, took the lawyers and Netflix to the zoo, and showed them where he had a murder weapon that their agenda was actually to kill me. wasn't anything to do with Carol. Interesting. Isn't that crazy? Have you not seen Tiger King 2? No. Oh my God, yeah. They got on world television on Netflix and admitted that they made it up. That's fucked up. Joe has done everything he's ever worked for. My parents have died since I've been in here. I don't have anything left for. I have nothing. You know, I got a husband that Biden actually deported. Trump didn't deport him. Biden did. You know, but everybody wants to blame Trump. All right. You know, all I want to do is fucking get out of here. You know, I'm not even asking for a pardon. I've got a claimancy application in Trump's office. They've called the prison and asked, you know, what's Joe been up to? Joe has completed over 35 programs in the last six months. Joe works his ass off. Joe never even had a speeding ticket before this happened. I just want time served. Let me go home. You know, my president is a felon. I can go through the rest of my life as a felon I don even care You know if they think that bad press by giving me a pardon they cleaning my record is going to hurt them Just give me time sir I done eight years I done a year longer than the person that went to Judge Kavanaugh house with the gun to kill him. So do you believe, do you think like the world's forgetting about Joe Exotic or is there a bunch of people still seeking interviews, et cetera? I mean, I've got two more interviews tonight. You know, my people email me copies of, hell, I'm in the news every week. So, no, the world has not forgotten about me. I still get 30 letters a day. You know, when I first got arrested, my mail came in Walmart sacks. But, no, I mean, I get letters from Bulgaria, Thailand, Australia, the United Kingdom, everywhere. yeah well Tiger King was kind of a of a of a viral phenomenon I would think now now we're not I never saw any of that you know I finally saw the show about a year and a half you know I've never experienced people out in the world you know so that's what I'm trying to get straight because again I apologize I wasn't a big you know advocate follower of of all the drama and all the things that happened, of course, you couldn't help but to see Tiger King. And then, of course, I went and watched it, as did about the entire other world. And then the next thing you know, this Joe Exotic is in prison. And then it's like, well, what the hell happened? I still didn't know to this day. Why are you in prison? How long? I mean, everybody wants to know. You know, I've got letters from federal guards that have retired of 26 years being a federal guard. It says, why is Joe in prison? Joe doesn't need to be in prison. Joe doesn't act like an inmate. Joe doesn't do drugs. He don't drink. He don't need to stand up. Why is Joe not getting out? Business owners, listen up. If your business needs more money, and it will, banks aren't built to move quick. They make you fill out a ton of paperwork, wait for a decision, and by that time, the opportunity is passed. So if you want bank rates without bank delays, you need to check out Cardiff. Cardiff's been helping businesses get same-day funding for over 20 years. We're talking up to $500,000 approved and funded quicker and easier than big banks. You can apply online in under two minutes and get funded as fast as the same day. 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President Trump has acknowledged me twice, okay? a reporter asked him in the White House press conference room about a pardon and then he said he would look into it and then just a month ago another reporter asked him that in the office and he said he would look into it so he knows who I am he knows what my case is why is he not helping me is it really about a million dollars to buy your way out of here I really hope not well you know I was about to say I was about to say I believe in the system yeah well I was about to say you know I've looked into a few things when it comes to the pardon and it looks unfortunately like yeah you gotta pay for that pardon unfortunately or or again or you gotta know somebody and pull a serious string but he can definitely pardon you my question's back at the trial they gave you a trial correct yeah so you went to court and you know what they did though what they arrested me They held me without bond. They kept me in solitary confinement for two years. I couldn't help build a case. I couldn't work to pay real lawyers. I couldn't find evidence. I couldn't get to nothing. And I saw my public defenders three times before my trial. You had public defenders? Yeah, because I didn't have no money. See, again, most people would assume that because it kind of happened backwards. The show went viral. Everybody just assumed you must be rich from all this fame. You know, I didn't get a dime from Tiger King. Who's making all that money? They took all of that off of my YouTube channel. Because Eric Good, the producer of Tiger King, knew I was broke and knows that I can't sue Netflix in here because they're all millionaires. Joe's scraping together chains for Congress series. thank god Peter Tickman took my case on profile but no Joe didn't make a dime off of Tiger King that's crazy and when they gave you a trial did you just have shitty representation or were they suppressing evidence the prosecutors when you look at all that stuff prosecutors suppressed evidence That's why I motioned for a new trial with the Supreme Court that I'm waiting on right now. You know, they violated my constitutional rights, free violations, and empty violations, and everything else. But the prosecutors that I had you know they made a deal before I ever went to trial because they didn even cross I mean my trial transcripts are over there They didn even cross anybody I had a witness list of over 30 people that I wanted as witnesses You know who they called as a witness? One witness. You know who they called? PETA. PETA. Yeah. They called the attorney for PETA as my witness. Were you sitting there witnessing this and telling your public defenders what in the hell's going on? You know his only answer to me every time. We're doing this my way. You know what Brad, I've never been in trouble. I never even had a screening ticket. So I didn't know that I could hire my public defenders. I didn't know that I could do a better job now than they did myself. I didn't know any of this because I've never been in trouble. You had an absolutely spotless record prior to this. You will never find anything on me, huh? So let's go. The only thing they had to go against me like that in court was back in 2004. I had an obstruction of justice charge because I wouldn't let my gay boy kill the line that I had in my zoo. And they ended up dropping the charges. and your zoo was in Oklahoma, correct? Yes, sir. And you would open it up to, you know, visitors and people walking through there all the time. Oh, yeah. Yeah, every holiday I opened for free. I mean, everybody thinks it was about money. Hell, I was broke. You know, I had 1,400 animals. I had 260 tigers. You know, I opened it for free every holiday. I fed everyone that didn't have anywhere to go every holiday. I did as much good as I could this thing beats which means we got a minute left but I would be tickled to tell you back if you need any more information after you look at that website yeah do you want to set up another interview once I'm walking through all this because I want to help you definitely if you need help from in there because I know what it would be like to be in there I need a voice I really do I'm begging for help And just go through that evidence, get with my team, and they'll send me an email when they call you back. Sounds good, buddy. You know, stay tough, brother. You know, how long you got, supposedly? Four more years if I do my whole bid. Well, I thought you got 22. But you get first step back credit, you get second chance at, which is a year, and then you get good time. So I have to do 13. That's it.