US President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of disgraced former congressman George Santos, who was serving seven years for fraud and identity theft, declaring that he had been “horribly mistreated.”
US President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of George Santos, a former Republican congressman serving seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft.
In a social media post on Friday, Trump said Santos “has been horribly mistreated,” adding: “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
Santos, 36, had been serving his sentence at a minimum-security facility in New Jersey after admitting to stealing the identities of 11 people, including members of his family. He was expelled from Congress in 2023, becoming only the sixth US lawmaker in history to face such punishment.
“God bless President Donald J Trump,” said Santos’s lawyer, Joseph Murray, following the announcement.
At his April sentencing, a judge told the former lawmaker, “You got elected with your words, most of which were lies.”
Prosecutors said Santos used campaign donations to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury purchases, Botox, and OnlyFans subscriptions.
In his commutation message, Trump compared Santos’s crimes to those of Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, accusing him of lying about military service.
Earlier this week, Santos had published an open letter pleading for mercy, writing, “Mr President, I am not asking for sympathy. I am asking for fairness — for the chance to rebuild.”
Trump has also pardoned other Republicans, including ex-Congressman Michael Grimm and former Connecticut Governor John Rowland.