Trump Commutes Release of Former Congressman George Santos from Prison

President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on social media this Friday (17) that he is commuting the sentence of former congressman George Santos, who was serving a seven-year sentence for fraud charges that led to his expulsion from Congress. ‘George Santos was a bit of a ‘crook,’ but there are many crooks all over the country who are not forced to serve seven years in prison,’ the president wrote on Truth Social. ‘George has been in solitary confinement for long periods and, by all accounts, has been terribly mistreated. So, I have just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck, George, have a great life,’ added the American president. Santos was serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trump’s commutation comes just months after Santos, 37, surrendered on July 25 to serve 87 months in prison. Previously, Santos told the Saudi newspaper Al Arabiya English that he had requested clemency from Trump but believed it ‘was blocked.’ ‘I don’t think it reached the president,’ Santos said about his clemency request. ‘Unfortunately, the gatekeepers blocked the transmission so it never reached the president.’ In August 2024, the former congressman pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud stemming from activities during his 2022 midterm campaign. ‘I deeply regret my conduct,’ Santos said in court at the time. ‘I take full responsibility for my actions.’