President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of George Santos, releasing the disgraced former Republican congressman immediately.
The remarkable move by Trump comes about three months after Santos – a serial fabulist and onetime drag queen – reported to a federal prison in New Jersey in July to begin serving a seven-year sentence.
‘George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,’ Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post.
‘George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated. Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!’, the president continued.
Santos pled guilty to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for deceiving donors and stealing people’s identities in order to fund his congressional campaign.
Despite his crimes and his lies, Santos had his backers.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene formally came to his aid this summer arguing the length of his term represented ‘a grave injustice.’
The plea, which was sent to a Justice Department pardon attorney, came less than two weeks after Santos began his sentence.
President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of George Santos, releasing the disgraced former Republican congressman immediately
George Santos boastied about performing as a drag queen in Rio de Janeiro – despite later claiming that he had never done any such thing
Trump made the announcement about Santos commutation on Friday evening
‘While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges,’ Greene, a Georgia Republican, wrote without elaborating.
‘I strongly believe in accountability for one’s actions, but I believe the sentencing of Mr. Santos is an abusive overreach by the judicial system.’
Last month, Greene once again tweeted at length as to why Santos should be released.
‘Former Congressman George Santos has been in solitary confinement for nearly 30 days in FCI Fairton NJ. They say it’s “for his safety” due to threats. I’m told he is in his cell 24 hours per day and he is only allowed to get a shower 3 times a week,’ Greene began.
‘He does not get any sunlight. He’s only allowed to buy stamps from the commissary and is drinking water from the sink…This is torture. I have sent a letter asking for his sentence to commuted, 87 months is way too long for the crimes he was sentenced for…. George should be pardoned!!!’
On Friday night, Greene publicly thanked Trump for his compassion.
‘THANK YOU President Trump for releasing George Santos!! He was unfairly treated and put in solitary confinement, which is torture!!’
In recent months Greene has has become an unlikely critic of the Republican leadership.
Elected to office in 2020, has become one of the most controversial figures in American politics, leaving a trail of racist and antisemitic statements and unapologetically embracing conspiracy theories.
But while still a supporter of Trump’s agenda, she has also shown a willingness to break with her party on issues including Israel’s war in Gaza; the release of the Epstein files; and now the fight to end the government shutdown.
Santos, meanwhile, was once heralded in the Republican Party for winning a perennially contested New York congressional seat covering parts of Queens and Long Island. But then it became clear that he fabricated much of his life story.
In one bizarre story from Santos past, there were picture of circulated of him performing as a drag queen in Rio de Janeiro.
Santos claimed that he had never done any such thing, but video suggested otherwise.
Among his false claims were that his mother died in the 9/11 attacks. He also had to explain that he was ‘Jew-ish,’ not Jewish, when questions were raised about his claim that his grandparents had fled the Holocaust.
He survived two expulsion attempts before a scathing House ethics committee report in late 2023 led to his ouster from Congress, making him only the sixth member in the chamber´s history to be removed by colleagues.
The former New York Republican was sentenced to 87 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud committed around his brief stint on Capitol Hill.
The fabulist liar made up a host of twisted tails about working on Wall Street, being a collegiate volleyball star and an heir to a real estate empire.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene formally came to his Santos’ this summer arguing the length of his term represented ‘a grave injustice’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene formally came to his aid this summer arguing the length of his term represented ‘a grave injustice.’
On Friday night, Greene publicly thanks Trump for his compassion
Santos is seen arriving at federal court for sentencing in April in Central Islip, New York
Trump made the announcement on Friday evening just after 6pm
Santos, 37, took office in January 2023, becoming the first openly gay Republican to be elected. He was expelled later that year after his web of lies began to unfurl.
At one point, he falsely claimed that his mother died in the 9/11 attacks. At another, he had to clarify that he was ‘Jew-ish,’ not Jewish, when pressed about a claim that his grandparents had fled the Holocaust.
The lies made him a political pariah before he even got to Washington.
Once there, he survived two expulsion attempts before a scathing House ethics committee report in late 2023 sealed his fate.
He was expelled from Congress after a vote later that same year, becoming the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be removed by colleagues.
Prosecutors presented evidence of Santos spending political donations on Botox, designer clothes, casino holidays, and OnlyFans fees.
He was also ordered to pay at least $373,749.97 in restitution and forfeit over $200,000, according to a plea agreement he made last year.
Since his sentencing, Santos had been vying for Trump to commute his sentence – as evidenced by long rants he’s posted to social media claiming he is the victim of unfair legal prosecution.
‘From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it’s been,’ he wrote before heading to prison. ‘I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit.’
Federal prosecutors indicted Santos for defrauding his own political supporters the same year he took office.
Santos pathologically lied about his life when running for Congress in 2022. The tall tales were not revealed until after the election and he was later expelled from Congress
Santos was sentenced to seven years for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and had been serving time at Federal Correctional Institution Fairton (pictured) in New Jersey
In recent months Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has has become an unlikely critic of the Republican leadership
He took their donations and moved them into his own bank accounts, later using the funds on a slew of personal expenses, prosecutors claimed.
Santos also as alleged to have fraudulently applied for COVID pandemic benefits despite not meeting the qualifications, the feds said.
In addition, the ex-lawmaker lied on his campaign paperwork to qualify for funding from the Republican Party, prosecutors alleged. He also was accused of using his donor’s payment information to make contributions in their name to his campaign.
At his sentencing the judge noted how Santos appeared unrepentant for his actions and crimes.
‘Where is your remorse? U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert asked Santos during the Friday sentencing. ‘Where do I see it?’
With the disgraced lawmaker, the judge said, ‘it’s always someone else’s fault.’
Santos wept as he told the court he felt ‘humbled’ and realized he had betrayed his constituents’ trust.
‘I offer my deepest apologies,’ he said, adding: ‘I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.’
