George Santos leaves the U.S. Capitol after his fellow members of Congress voted to expel him from the House of Representatives on December 01, 2023. The New York Republican was later sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a range of federal charges, but President Trump has now commuted his sentence.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
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Drew Angerer/Getty Images
In a recent development that has caught the nation’s attention, President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of George Santos, a former New York Republican who was serving over seven years for crimes related to fraud and theft from campaign donors. The news came after Santos had been expelled from the House of Representatives.
Trump announced the commutation through a post on Truth Social, emphasizing his decision to release Santos from prison without delay. “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 stated.
Santos, who was a staunch ally of Trump, had confessed in 2024 to charges including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The prosecution described his actions as involving a “mountain of lies, theft, and fraud” designed to deceive donors and benefit himself. His incarceration began in July at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey.
Following his election in 2020, Santos was soon embroiled in controversy as reports emerged of his fabricating various elements of his identity. Despite admissions of lying about his education and background, Santos took office in 2022. However, by 2023, the House of Representatives voted 311-114 to expel him, making him the sixth member to be expelled and the first without a criminal conviction at the time.
At the point of his expulsion, Santos was facing a total of 23 criminal charges. Trump drew parallels between Santos’ case and past controversies, like the statements made by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., regarding his military service in Vietnam. Trump noted that Santos’ situation was less severe compared to Blumenthal, who admitted to “misspeaking.”
Throughout his presidency, Trump has made headlines with numerous high-profile pardons and commutations. Recently, he pardoned over 1,500 individuals involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in one sweeping action. Additionally, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich received a pardon for corruption charges, echoing Trump’s decision to commute his sentence during his first term.
