Joseph Maldonado, better known as 'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic, has made an extraordinary proposal to Colorado Governor Jared Polis, suggesting a prisoner swap that would move him from federal custody in exchange for a former county clerk and staunch Donald Trump ally.

An Unconventional Proposal

Maldonado's life was the subject of Netflix's 2020 'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness' documentary, and now he's back in the headlines with an even stranger proposal. He's currently serving a 21-year federal sentence, having been found guilty on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two charges for hiring a hitman to kill his rival, Carole Baskin.

Maldonado, who has already served eight years of his sentence, sent a letter to Governor Polis and other Colorado officials on Wednesday, proposing a unique exchange. Prisoner swaps usually happen between countries—like when the U.S. Traded arms dealer Viktor Bout to Russia for WNBA star Brittney Griner in 2024.

But Maldonado's asking for something completely different: a swap between Colorado state prison and the federal system. He would end up in Colorado state custody, while former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters would be transferred into federal prison.

That matters because Trump can only pardon federal crimes, not state ones—which is why Peters needs to be in federal custody.

Peters got nine years in 2024 after being convicted on seven counts of illegally accessing election machines. Donald Trump has long sought her release, and a transfer to federal custody would make her eligible for a presidential pardon.

Mastheads

Legal Battles and Health Concerns

Maldonado has previously begged Trump for a pardon, but one never materialised. Now, he's trying a new approach, labelling his request the "craziest ask you will ever receive."

The email from Maldonado, sent to Colorado officials, was reportedly on letterhead from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. In the email, Maldonado claimed the Department of Justice is trying to "harm my reputation in an attempt to sway the jury by discriminating against my identity as LGBTQ and being married to a now deported Mexican man."

He further asserted that new evidence submitted to the United States Supreme Court shows his innocence. Maldonado also alleged that DOJ witnesses who testified against him admitted to perjury on television during the second season of 'Tiger King'.

Maldonado says he's fighting prostate and lung cancer, which he's using to push his case. The cancer diagnosis makes his prisoner swap pitch seem even more desperate.

A Tiger's Tragic Legacy

Meanwhile, one of the tigers Maldonado once owned has died. Sebastian, a 10-year-old tiger formerly owned by Joe Exotic, died after a battle with suspected oral cancer at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas.

Sebastian was one of 68 big cats the DOJ seized from Tiger King Park in 2021. After the rescue, Turpentine Creek placed him at Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary in Missouri, where he stayed until October 2025.

Turpentine Creek took Sebastian in late 2025 and put him in their Freedom Field enclosure. When he arrived, the vet team found a growth in his upper jaw. The first biopsy looked benign, but a dental procedure later showed aggressive oral cancer.

Curator Emily McCormack said mouth cancer in tigers is rare, especially in younger ones like Sebastian. Tigers usually live 12 to 17 years in captivity.

Instead of putting Sebastian through more surgery, the refuge switched to palliative care—keeping him comfortable and managing his pain. McCormack said Sebastian had a good temperament for a tiger—he liked stalking and playing with toys, despite everything he'd been through.

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Separately, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, as he is also known, announced his engagement on October 28, 2024, while still serving his sentence in a Texas federal prison.

This article was created with AI assistance.