The “Tiger King” is no longer trying to become president.
"Joe Exotic" — real name Joseph Maldonado — of the popular 2020 Netflix documentary ended his presidential campaign on Thursday, according to a termination report filing with the Federal Election Commission reviewed by Raw Story.
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Maldonado first announced his intent to run for president from prison in March 2023 and later switched to run as a Democrat. His presidential platform included “term limits on all politicians and federal judges,” five-year-minimum prison sentences for “any politician or federal agent that violates their oath of office” and American production of its own coal, oil and gas, according to an exclusive letter Maldonado sent Raw Story in September.
“I'm running as a Democrat because first someone has to become a new style of Democrat that meets in the middle like pro choice and pro 2nd amendment and tuff [sic] on violent crime but not so harsh on nonviolent offenders except sex offenders. Our prisons are over full of small time drug offenders while sex offenders and violent criminals go home first,” Maldonado wrote to Raw Story on lined notebook paper with erratic capitalization. “My voters need to understand what has happened to me can happen to them and I am nothing more than a political prisoner for the Big Cat Safety Act.”
Maldonado’s campaign committee, Joseph Maldonado to Free America, filed the termination report on Thursday, which showed the campaign was left with just under $1,400 in cash.
Over the course of the election cycle, Maldonado raised just over $16,000, according to the FEC report. While he never
Maldonado previously reported on his public financial disclosure required of all presidential candidates income from diverse sources, such as a book advance, toy payments and music royalties, along with a liability for a “$814,465 judgment” from “Big Cat Rescue (Carole Baskin).”
Maldonado is serving a 21-year sentence at a Fort Worth, Texas, federal prison for two counts of murder-for-hire related to alleged plans to kill his big cat rescue foe, Baskin, along with 17 other crimes, including violations of a law prohibiting illegal wildlife trading.
Maldonado has not yet announced the end of his campaign on his social media or campaign website.
President Joe Biden clinched the Democratic nomination in March, as did former President Donald Trump in securing the Republican presidential nomination.
Maldonado’s campaign spokesperson and agent could not be reached for comment.
But in a post Monday night on X, Maldonado's presidential campaign account on X posted a crude photo illustration of Trump in a prison eating unappetizing food, with the caption, "GET USED TO THIS IDEA."
"Trump you have the power behind you right now with every Republican congress person and senator to change this even without being President," the post said. "You own the Republican Party. Start fixing some of these problems even before the election and show the voters you are up to the job even now."
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