Joe Exotic

[[File:Joe Exotic (Santa Rose County Jail).png|thumb|right|165px|Joe Exotic's mugshot.]]
{{crimenav|1}}
'''Joseph Allen Maldonado''' (né Schreibvogel) {{lived|1963}}, more commonly known as '''Joe Exotic''', is a former zookeeper, convicted felon, and [[perennial candidate]] currently being interred in the Santa Rosa County Jail in [[Florida]].<ref>[https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2024/03/28/joe-exotic-tiger-king-santa-rosa-county-jail/73131905007/ Why is Joe Exotic back in Santa Rosa County Jail? Here's what to know about the 'Tiger King'], Brandon Girod, ''Pensacola News Journal'' 28 March 2024</ref> Originating from [[Kansas]] and later moving to [[Texas]], he is best known for his ownership of the {{wpl|Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park}} in [[Oklahoma]], which was chronicled in the 2020 Netflix series ''{{wpl|Tiger King||''.}} He ran for [[POTUS|president]] in 2016 as an independent and in 2024 as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] as a write-in candidate, while running for the governor of Oklahoma as a [[Libertarian Party|Libertarian]] in 2018.<ref>[https://ballotpedia.org/Joe_Exotic Joe Exotic] ''Ballotpedia''.</ref>

==''Tiger King''==
Exotic founded the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in 1999 after buying some land in Oklahoma using money received in a lawsuit related to his brother's [[death]]. One year later, he would start breeding tigers at the zoo.<ref>[https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/joe-exotic-a-dark-journey-into-the-world-of-a-man-gone-wild/ Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild], Leif Reigstad, ''Texas Monthly'' June 2019</ref> His tigers were reportedly underfed and kept in small enclosures,<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/life-after-tiger-king-for-joe-exotics-rescued-tigers-60-minutes/ Life after "Tiger King" for Joe Exotic's rescued tigers], Will Croxton, ''CBS News'' 14 July 2024</ref> and he reportedly killed five tigers and illegally sold tiger cubs in violation of federal laws.<ref>[https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a31918316/is-the-tiger-king-zoo-still-open/ Here's What Happened to Joe Exotic's G.W. Zoo], Temi Adebowale, ''Men's Health'' 19 January 2021</ref> He also paid his staff a meager $150 a week, forced them to live in dilapidated trailers, and frequently withheld food rations from them.<ref>[https://www.nickiswift.com/198712/the-real-reason-joe-exotics-staff-couldnt-stand-him/ The Real Reason Joe Exotic's Staff Couldn't Stand Him], J.E. Reich, ''Nikki Swift'' 2 April 2020</ref> While a lot of this was covered in ''Tiger King'', they left a few things out, like Exotic's use of [[Racism|racial slurs]].<ref>[https://www.pajiba.com/celebrities_are_better_than_you/why-was-joe-exotics-racism-cut-from-tiger-king.php Why Was Joe Exotic’s Racism Cut From 'Tiger King'?], Kate Hudson, ''Pajiba'' 8 April 2020</ref>

==Feud with Baskin==
Exotic had blamed a lot of his problems on {{wpl|Carole Baskin||,}} another zookeeper who runs {{wpl|Big Cat Rescue||.}} Joe Exotic infamously accused her of murdering her husband {{wpl|Disappearance of Don Lewis|who disappeared in 1997}} in his [[meme]]tic song "Here Kitty Kitty".<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/joe-exotic-tiger-king-song-971718/ Song You Need to Know: Joe Exotic, ‘Here Kitty Kitty’], Brittany Spanos, ''Rolling Stone'' 25 March 2020</ref>{{efn|Joe Exotic didn't actually write any of "his" songs or even sing in most of them. They were written and performed by Vince Johnson and Danny Clinton, with Exotic's only real input being suggesting song topics and occasionally adding backing vocals.<ref>[https://slate.com/culture/2020/03/netflixs-tiger-king-joe-exotics-music-isnt-even-by-joe-exotic.html Behind the Music of the Tiger King], Sam Adams, ''Slate'' 27 March 2020</ref>}} This has led Exotic to promote several unfounded theories on the disappearance. For example, he said that Baskin either hid her husband's body in a septic tank or shoved it through the meat grinder despite the fact that neither the meat grinder nor the septic tank were on the property at the time of the disappearence.<ref>[https://time.com/5813268/tiger-king-carole-baskin-don-lewis-case/ ‘Everyone Had a Different Story.’ Tiger King Popularity Leads Sheriff to Reopen the Case of Don Lewis’s Disappearance], Megan McCluskey, ''Time'' 2 April 2020</ref> The feud ultimately led him to hire a hitman to murder Baskin, which alongside 8 counts of violating the {{wpl|Lacey Act}} on rare animal and endangered species trading, and 9 counts of violating the Endangered Species Act got him sentenced to 22 years in [[prison]].<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/23/us/joe-exotic-sentenced-murder-for-hire/index.html He killed five tigers and tried to hire a hit man on a rival. Now he’s going to prison for 22 years], Faith Karimi, ''CNN'' 1 April 2020</ref> In the end, due to a scheme where Exotic fraudulently put his zoo in his mother's name to avoid making payments to creditors as a result of an earlier $1 million trademark infringement lawsuit brought forth by Baskin, a judge gave Exotic's zoo to Baskin.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/us/carole-baskin-tiger-king-zoo-trnd/index.html Carole Baskin awarded the zoo once owned by ‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic], Jennifer Henderson and Hollie Silverman, ''CNN'' 4 June 2020</ref>

==Political campaigns==
In 2016, he ran as an independent candidate for president and was shouted out by [[John Oliver]].<ref>[https://ew.com/tv/john-oliver-joe-exotic-simpler-time/ John Oliver was reporting on Joe Exotic before anyone else: 'It was a simpler time'], Omar Sanchez, ''Entertainment Weekly'' 14 April 2020</ref> He only achieved ballot access in [[Colorado]] and got 968 votes nationwide.<ref>[https://www.fec.gov/introduction-campaign-finance/election-results-and-voting-information/ Election results and voting information], ''Federal Election Commission''</ref>

In 2018, he ran in the Libertarian primary for governor of Oklahoma,<ref>[https://okcfox.com/news/local/race-for-governor-joe-exotic Race for Governor: Joe Exotic], Phil Cross, ''Fox 25'' 5 June 2018</ref> though he was [[No True Scotsman|accused by his opponents of not being a real libertarian]] and was largely seen as an embarrassment to the party,<ref name=Lawhorn>[https://reason.com/2020/04/23/i-ran-for-governor-of-oklahoma-against-tiger-kings-joe-exotic/ I Ran for Governor of Oklahoma Against Tiger King's Joe Exotic], Rex Lawhorn, ''Reason'' 23 April 2020</ref> and even his campaign manager said he didn't think that Exotic even knew what a [[libertarian]] was.<ref>[https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/tiger-king-where-joshua-dial-joe-exotic-campaign-manager What Happened To Joshua Dial, Joe Exotic's Campaign Manager During Run For Governor?], Connor Mannion, ''Oxygen'' 13 April 2020</ref> He ultimately came in last in the primary out of three candidates, and his party membership was revoked following his arrest.<ref name=Lawhorn />

After trying and failing to get a pardon from [[Donald Trump]],<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/no-trump-pardon-tiger-king-joe-exotic-77df2360159f247b81a293ae1a15ee25 No-go for Joe Exotic: Trump pardon list omits ‘Tiger King’], ''AP News'' 20 January 2021</ref> he ran in 2024 as a write-in candidate in the Democrat Party primary.<ref>[https://kfor.com/news/local/joe-exotic-says-hes-running-for-president-as-a-democrat/ ‘Joe Exotic’ says he’s running for President as a Democrat], Kaylee Douglas, ''KFOR'' 11 April 2023</ref> While he's running from prison, he probably won't do as well as [[Eugene V. Debs]].

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Exotic, Joe}}
[[Category:2016 US Presidential candidates]]
[[Category:2024 US Presidential candidates]]
[[Category:Animal rights]]
[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Convicted felons]]
[[Category:Financial fraud]]
[[Category:Florida]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Magicians]]
[[Category:Musicians]]
[[Category:Perennial candidates]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Shysters]]
[[Category:Texas]]
[[Category:United States politicians]]

Categories: 2016 US Presidential candidates, 2024 US Presidential candidates, Animal rights, Business, Conspiracy theorists, Convicted felons, Financial fraud, Florida, LGBTQ people, Living people, Magicians, Musicians, Perennial candidates, Racists, Shysters, Texas, United States politicians