On Friday evening, President Donald Trump announced that he has commuted the prison term of George Santos, thereby releasing the disgraced ex-Republican congressman immediately.
Santos “was somewhat of a ‘maverick,’ yet there are many mavericks in our Country who are not made to serve seven years behind bars,” Trump stated in a Truth Social post.
This year, Santos received a sentence of 87 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to offenses including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He began his incarceration in late July.
The 37-year-old representative from New York was in the House for less than a year before being expelled from Congress amidst scandal in December 2023.
Even prior to his swearing-in, Santos acknowledged fabricating significant aspects of his life during his campaign. While serving in Congress, he was indicted by the Department of Justice on a range of federal charges, including fraud, theft, money laundering, and making false declarations.
According to a senior White House official who informed NBC News on Friday evening, Trump’s choice to commute Santos’s sentence followed appeals for his clemency from numerous friends and supporters of the imprisoned former politician.
Trump had also recently perused Santos’ writings from prison, detailing his living conditions, the official mentioned to NBC.
In a complimentary letter published on Monday in the local Long Island publication The South Shore Press, Santos directly requested clemency from Trump.
“You have consistently been a man who champions second chances, a leader who believes in redemption and renewal,” Santos expressed. “I am now pleading with you, from the deepest part of my heart, to extend that same faith to me.”
In his social media post on Friday, Trump noted that his thoughts about Santos were spurred by a reminder of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who faced severe backlash during his 2010 Senate campaign for claiming he had “served in Vietnam” despite never being deployed there.
Earlier in October, Trump had remarked that Blumenthal “ought to be investigated, and justice should be pursued.” This criticism came shortly after Attorney General Pam Bondi, during a heated and politically charged Senate hearing, directly accused Blumenthal of lying concerning his military service.
In 2010, Blumenthal acknowledged that he had misspoken about his military experience several times. Last week on CNN, the senator stated that Trump’s claims are “entirely misleading and distorted.”
Trump did not have military service.
On Friday, Trump expressed that Blumenthal’s record “is significantly worse compared to what George Santos did, and at least Santos possessed the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”
“George has endured long periods in solitary confinement and has reportedly been treated very poorly,” Trump noted.
“Consequently, I have just signed a Commutation, immediately releasing George Santos from prison. Best of luck, George, and enjoy your life!”
