Trump commutes sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he has commuted the former U.S. representative’s sentence. George SantosWHO serves more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges.

The New York Republican was convicted in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and impersonating 11 people — including members of his own family — to make donations to his campaign.

He reported to Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey, on July 25 and is incarcerated in a minimum-security prison camp with fewer than 50 other inmates.

“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘thug,’ but there are many thugs throughout our country who do not have to serve seven years in prison,” Trump said on his social media platform. He said he “just signed a commutation, releasing George Santos from prison IMMEDIATELY.”

“Good luck George, have a great life!” » Trump said.

Joseph Murray, one of Santos’ lawyers, said Friday evening that the former lawmaker’s family was on their way to the prison for his release. Andrew Mancilla, another Santos lawyer, praised the president “for doing the right thing.”

Spokespeople for the Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Santos’ X account, which was active throughout his roughly 84 days in prison, reposted a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post on Friday.

During his time behind bars, Santos wrote regular dispatches to a local Long Island newspaper, in which he mainly complained about prison conditions.

In his latest letter, however, he pleaded directly with Trump, citing his loyalty to the president’s agenda and the Republican Party.

“Sir, I appeal to your sense of justice and humanity – the same qualities that have inspired millions of Americans to believe in you,” he said. wrote in The South Shore Press on October 13. “I humbly ask that you consider the pain and unusual difficulties of this environment and allow me the opportunity to return to my family, friends and community.”

Santos Commutation Is Trump’s Last Big Deal act of clemency for former Republican politicians since they took over the White House in January.

At the end of May, he pardoned the former US representative. Michael Grimma New York Republican who pleaded guilty in 2014 to underreporting wages and income from a restaurant he managed in Manhattan. He also pardoned the former governor of Connecticut. John Rowlandwhose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two stints in federal prison.

But by granting clemency to Santos, Trump was rewarding a figure who had sparked contempt within his own party.

After becoming the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, Santos served less than a year after it was revealed he had fabricated much of his life story.

On the campaign trail, Santos claimed he was a successful business consultant with Wall Street credibility and a large real estate portfolio. But when his resume was reviewed, Santos finally admitted that he had never graduated from Baruch College — nor been a standout player on the Manhattan college’s volleyball team, as he had claimed. He had never worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

He was not even Jewish. Santos insisted he meant he was “Jewish” because his mother’s family was of Jewish descent, even though he was raised Catholic.

In truth, the then 34-year-old was struggling financially and was even at risk of eviction.

Santos was charged in 2023 with stealing from donors and his campaignfraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.

In a few months, he was expelled from the US House of Representatives — with 105 Republicans joining forces with Democrats to make Santos the only sixth member in the history of the chamber of being ousted by colleagues.

Santos pleaded guilty when he was to be tried.

Yet a former prominent House colleague, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greeneurged the White House to commute Santos’ sentence, saying in a letter sent just days after his incarceration that the punishment was “a grave injustice” and the product of judicial overreach.

Greene was among those who applauded the announcement Friday. But U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, a Republican who represents part of Long Island and has been highly critical of Santos, said in a social media post that Santos “did not just lie” and that his crimes “warrant a sentence of more than three months.”

“He should dedicate the rest of his life to showing remorse and making amends to those he wronged,” LaLota said.

Santos’ clemency appears to erase not only his prison sentence, but also “other fines, restitution, probation, supervised release or other conditions,” according to a copy of Trump’s order. posted on by Justice Department attorney Ed Martin.

As part of his guilty plea, Santos agreed to pay restitution of $373,750 and forfeiture of $205,003.

In explaining his reasons for granting Santos clemency, Trump said the lies Santos told about himself were no worse than the misleading statements made by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal – a Democrat and frequent critic of the administration –. made on his military record.

Blumenthal apologized 15 years ago for implying he had served in Vietnam, while he was stateside in the Marine Reserves during the war.

“This is way worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the courage, conviction and intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Trump wrote.

The president himself was convicted by a New York court last year in a case involving hush money payments. He derided the affair as part of a politically motivated witch hunt.

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Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York and Susan Haigh in Connecticut contributed to this report.