Trump has just pardoned disgraced former Republican Congressman George Santos
President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of former New York congressman George Santos, ordering his immediate release and claiming the disgraced lawmaker was “horribly mistreated.”
“George Santos was somewhat of a rogue, but there are many rogues across our Country who aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump wrote in a social media post Friday. “Therefore, I just signed a commutation releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
Santos, expelled from the House last year after a cascade of scandals, was serving more than seven years in prison following his guilty plea to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. Prosecutors accused him of repeatedly dodging responsibility even after admitting guilt, saying he had shown “no genuine remorse.” They urged a lengthy prison term—87 months—to deter similar misconduct and send a clear warning to “other would-be fraudsters.”
The former congressman confessed to defrauding campaign donors by using their money for personal expenses and charging thousands of dollars to their credit cards without permission. He also illegally collected unemployment benefits for nearly a year and lied on congressional financial disclosures, inflating his wealth with fictitious assets.
Santos’s downfall began shortly after his 2022 election, when reporters uncovered a web of fabrications about his background. He falsely claimed degrees from schools he never attended and said he had worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup—positions those firms denied. He also fabricated personal stories, including that his mother was in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and that his grandparents had fled the Holocaust.
In explaining the commutation, Trump veered into familiar political territory, attacking Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) for misrepresenting his Vietnam-era military record—a grievance Trump has revived repeatedly. “This is far worse than what George Santos did,” Trump wrote, “and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”
The decision marks the latest in a string of controversial clemency actions by Trump. Since returning to office, he has pardoned or granted clemency to all individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as well as several high-profile figures, including reality TV stars, a gang leader, and a former Connecticut governor convicted of corruption.
Earlier this year, he pardoned a sheriff convicted of bribery and fraud, who had accepted over $75,000 in payments in exchange for granting honorary law enforcement titles to wealthy businessmen.
According to the Justice Department, a presidential commutation reduces a sentence or waives fines and restitution but does not erase the conviction or restore full civil rights.
As of late Friday, Santos remained listed as an inmate at FCI Fairton, a medium-security federal prison in New Jersey, according to the Bureau of Prisons.