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 stated that 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.
In April 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, saying: I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.
Prosecutors argued that the novice politician had lied about his background and misused campaign funds to finance his lifestyle.
In his post, Trump justified the move by critiquing Senator Richard Blumenthal, accusing him of fabricating his US military service. Trump claimed: This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!
Trump has previously called for an investigation into Blumenthal over these claims. The Democrat has acknowledged that he misspoke on several occasions regarding his military service but insists those incidents occurred over a decade ago.
A lawyer for Santos expressed uncertainty over when his client would be released, stating, The defence team applauds President Trump for doing the right thing. The sentence was far too long. Santos's legal troubles escalated after a New York Times investigation revealed numerous lies about his credentials.
From there, the allegations grew, including accusations of misappropriating funds from a fundraiser for a terminally ill dog. He was charged with 23 federal felony counts and became the first expelled member of Congress in over two decades.
Santos recently published an open letter pleading for a pardon from Trump, highlighting personal challenges including time spent in solitary confinement.
Trump's decision to commute Santos's sentence adds to his recent pattern of pardoning former Republican lawmakers, including Michael Grimm and John Rowland.
