Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social on Friday, saying he had signed a commutation to release Santos from prison immediately.
“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 wrote.
His falsehoods would catch up with him less than a year after his term began.
Trump compared Santos’ crimes to claims made by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., more than 15 years ago about his military service.
“This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”
George Santos, the disgraced New York Republican who was expelled from the House due to allegations that he stole money from campaign donors and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for a long list of offenses, had his prison term commuted, President Donald Trump announced on Friday.
Trump announced the move in a post on Truth Social on Friday, claiming to have signed a commutation to immediately free Santos from prison.
Trump wrote: “George Santos was a bit of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison.”.
Trump ardent supporter Santos entered a guilty plea to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in 2024. According to the prosecution, Santos was in charge of a “mountain of lies, theft, and fraud” that was intended to defraud campaign donors and enrich himself. He started serving his time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, in July of this year.
Soon after Santos was elected in 2020, rumors circulated that he had made up many parts of his identity. Later on, he acknowledged that he had lied about his upbringing, work, and education. Despite the questions raised concerning his background and campaign finances, Santos was still sworn into Congress in 2022.
Less than a year after his term started, his lies would catch up with him. The House removed him from office in 2023 by a vote of 311-114. Nearly all Democrats and over 100 Republicans supported Santos’ expulsion.
Santos became the first representative to be removed from the chamber without being found guilty of a crime, but he was only the sixth representative to be removed from the chamber overall. There were twenty-three criminal charges against Santos at the time of his expulsion.
Trump likened the offenses committed by Santos to what Sen. D-Conn. Richard Blumenthal. regarding his time in the military over 15 years ago. In the past, Blumenthal acknowledged that he “misspoke” about his time spent serving in Vietnam. Beginning in 1970, Blumenthal served in the Marine Reserve for six years, but none of that time was spent abroad.
Trump wrote, “This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the courage, conviction, and intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”.
