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, ordering his immediate release.
In a post on social media, 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!
The former lawmaker was only the sixth in US history to be expelled from Congress, following a damning ethics report in 2023.
Santos, who admitted to stealing the identities of 11 people, including family members, is currently serving his sentence at a minimum-security jail in New Jersey.
When Santos was sentenced, a judge told him, You got elected with your words, most of which were lies. He reportedly cried in court and begged for forgiveness, stating, I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.
Prosecutors argued Santos had lied about his background and misused campaign funds to finance his lifestyle.
In his post, Trump criticized a Democratic lawmaker, Senator Richard Blumenthal, whom he accused of fabricating his US military service, claiming it was far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the courage to always vote Republican!
This allegation concerning Blumenthal has seen pushback, as he acknowledged previous misstatements but argued that they've been politically cleared by voters.
A lawyer for Santos remarked that it remains unclear when he would be released, praising Trump for commuting the sentence, which they believed was excessively long.
Santos' downfall began after the New York Times published an investigative report revealing he had fabricated significant details about his professional past. From there, accusations escalated, including allegations of misusing funds for personal gain.
In an open letter earlier this week, Santos repeated his plea for presidential mercy, noting that he had faced serious consequences and took full responsibility for his past mistakes while stating, No man... deserves to be lost in the system... enduring punishment far beyond what justice requires.
Trump has been known to issue pardons lately, including for other Republican lawmakers.
