Republican George Santos had been serving a seven-year prison term for offenses including fraud and identity theft
United States President Donald Trump has commanded the liberation of George Santos, a former Republican congressman, who had completed under three months of a seven-year jail sentence for fraud and identity theft.
On Friday, Trump revealed this decision via his Truth Social platform, admitting that Santos, 37, embodied “somewhat of a ‘rogue’” character, yet asserting his penalty was unduly severe.
“I have just signed a commutation, granting immediate release to George Santos from prison,” Trump penned, further stating the ex-lawmaker had suffered “horrible mistreatment” and endured “extended periods in solitary confinement.”
Furthermore, he drew a parallel between Santos’ situation and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal’s, who inaccurately reported his Vietnam War service. “This is considerably worse than George Santos’s actions, and at minimum, Santos possessed the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN.”
“Good luck, George; may you have an excellent life,” he concluded.
In contrast to a pardon, a commutation reduces a sentence without absolving or expunging the conviction. Santos continues to be eligible for candidacy in federal elections.
The House of Representatives removed Santos in December 2023 following an ethics report that determined he had participated in financial impropriety and fabricated significant portions of his personal history, positioning him as only the sixth member to be ejected from the legislative body.
In 2024, Santos admitted guilt to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, confessing to misappropriating campaign contributions for private expenditures and submitting misleading disclosures during his 2022 congressional campaign. Among his questionable acquisitions were Botox procedures and an OnlyFans membership, as detailed in the Ethics Committee report.
The former congressman previously encountered controversy due to reports alleging he had performed in drag in Brazil. He initially dismissed these accounts as “categorically false,” yet subsequently stated: “I was young, and I had fun at a festival. Sue me for having a life.”
During his second term, Trump has extensively utilized his clemency authority, encompassing widespread pardons for approximately 1,500 individuals indicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot.