President Donald Trump on Friday announced he is commuting the sentence of former New York GOP Rep. George Santos, who was serving more than seven years in federal prison for wire fraud and identity theft.
Santos pleaded guilty last summer and was sentenced in April before reporting in July to a federal correctional center in New Jersey, The Washington Times reported.
“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,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” he added. “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
The order frees Santos effective immediately and converts the remainder of his sentence to time served.
Santos, 36, had appealed to the president soon after his sentencing, calling his punishment “an over-the-top politically influenced sentence.” He said he feared how he would be treated in custody and claimed prosecutors targeted him for political reasons.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., thanked Trump for the decision, calling Santos’ confinement “torture.”
“He was unfairly treated and put in solitary confinement, which is torture!!” Greene wrote on X.
Known for his flair for the dramatic, Santos reflected on his fall from Congress in a farewell post before reporting to prison.
“Well, darlings … The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,” he wrote. “From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news, what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days.”
He signed off, “Forever fabulously yours, George.”
The Campaign Legal Center first filed an FEC complaint in January 2023, accusing Santos of defrauding donors. He was later expelled from Congress and charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.
Following his sentencing, Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at the center, called the case a “major victory” for voters who had been “deceived or defrauded.”
“Santos’ brazen fraud and misconduct, which included serious violations of federal campaign finance laws, was an affront to his constituents, his donors, and the integrity of our democracy,” Ghosh said.
Friday’s commutation comes amid renewed attention on President Trump’s broader clemency record.
On Inauguration Day, Trump also granted clemency to roughly 1,550 defendants convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, ordering the Justice Department to dismiss any remaining indictments. About 900 of those cases involved non-violent misdemeanors such as trespass and disorderly conduct, AEI reported.
Trump said at the time the sweeping action was meant to restore “fairness” after years of “politicized prosecutions.”
Just minutes before leaving office that same day, former President Joe Biden issued his final batch of pardons to members of his own family, administration officials, and several political allies — including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley. Biden’s last-minute actions capped off what historians now say was the largest use of clemency in modern U.S. history.
In total, Biden granted pardons and commutations to more than 8,000 individuals, including convicted murderers, child abusers, and high-profile Democratic donors, according to Justice Department data. Critics have accused Biden of using clemency as a political tool after Congress declined to pass his proposed sentencing reforms.
Trump allies contrast the two approaches, saying Biden’s pardons were designed to protect himself and his inner circle while Trump’s actions focused on alleged political victims and excessive punishments.
They also note Biden’s decision to pardon his family members and close associates — including his brothers, sister, and in-laws — before prosecutors could open investigations into alleged influence-peddling schemes.
“President Biden used the pardon power to cover for corruption,” one senior administration source said. “President Trump used it to correct injustice.”