WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of former Rep. George Santos, releasing him from federal prison just months after he began serving a seven-year term for fraud and identity theft.
Santos, 37, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft stemming from his 2022 congressional campaign. He was expelled from the House in December 2023, becoming only the sixth lawmaker ever removed from the chamber.
Trump announced the commutation Friday on Truth Social, calling Santos “somewhat of a rogue” and claiming he had been “horribly mistreated” in prison, including extended periods in solitary confinement. “I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote.
Santos had previously sought a pardon but said gatekeepers prevented his request from reaching the president. From prison, he published an open letter asking for “fairness” and acknowledging his past mistakes. “No man, no matter his flaws, deserves to be lost in the system,” he wrote.
His legal team praised the decision, calling it a correction of injustice. Attorney Joseph Murray thanked several Republican lawmakers, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, for their support. Greene had written a letter to Trump in August urging clemency.
Santos also expressed gratitude to officials within the Justice Department, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin. Martin said he was “honored” to assist and thanked Trump for “making clemency great again.”
The commutation drew mixed reactions from lawmakers. Greene celebrated the move, saying Santos was “unfairly treated and put in solitary confinement, which is torture.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Trump for prioritizing Santos over pressing national issues, including health care amid a government shutdown.
During his brief time in Congress, Santos admitted to fabricating parts of his biography, including his education and employment history. He represented parts of Long Island and Queens and attempted to run in another district before pleading guilty.
Santos had been serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey. He is now free but still faces civil liabilities and public scrutiny over his conduct.
The White House has not commented further on the commutation, and legal experts say the move does not erase Santos’ criminal record, though it ends his incarceration.
