Trump commutes prison sentence of former Republican Rep. George Santos

President Donald Trump announced Friday evening that he had commuted George Santos’ prison sentence, immediately freeing the disgraced former Republican congressman.

Santos “was something of a ‘thug,’ but there are plenty of thugs throughout our country who do not have to serve seven years in prison,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social article.

Santos was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison this year after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He began serving his sentence at the end of July.

The 37-year-old New York representative served in the House for less than a year before being forced out of Congress under a cloud of scandal in December 2023.

Even before taking the oath of office, Santos admitted to lying about key details of his life on the campaign trail. While in Congress, he was charged by the Justice Department with a range of federal crimes, including fraud, theft, money laundering and making false statements.

Trump’s decision to commute Santos’ sentence came after several friends and allies of the imprisoned ex-politician launched appeals for clemency, a senior White House official told NBC News Friday evening.

Trump had also recently read Santos’ writings from prison describing his living conditions, the official told NBC.

In a flattering letter published Monday in local Long Island newspaper The South Shore Press, Santos directly asked Trump for clemency.

“You have always been a man of second chances, a leader who believes in redemption and renewal,” Santos wrote. “I ask you now, from the depths of my heart, to extend this same conviction to me.”

In his social media post Friday, Trump said he began thinking about Santos after recalling Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, who came under heavy criticism during his 2010 Senate campaign for saying he had “served in Vietnam” even though he had never been deployed there.

Trump said earlier in October that Blumenthal “should be investigated and justice should be sought.” The attack came hours after Attorney General Pam Bondi, during a combative and politically charged Senate hearing, directly accused Blumenthal of lying about his military past.

Blumenthal said in 2010 that he had repeatedly misspoke about his service. On CNN last week, the senator said Trump’s accusations were “completely misleading and distorted.”

Trump did not serve in the military.

Trump wrote Friday that Blumenthal’s record “is far worse than George Santos’, and at least Santos had the courage, conviction and intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

“George was held in solitary confinement for extended periods of time and, by all accounts, was horribly mistreated,” Trump wrote.

“Therefore, I have just signed a commutation, releasing George Santos from prison IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a good life!”