Former President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform the immediate commutation of George Santos's 7-year sentence. Santos, the former congressman convicted of crimes including wire fraud and identity theft, was serving his sentence at FCI Fairton in southern New Jersey. Trump referred to Santos as "somewhat of a 'rogue,'" but stated that the length of his sentence was excessive given the nature of his crimes, as per Gothamist.
The announcement comes with confirmation from Santos’s lawyer that he was released and has returned home after the commutation. Joseph Murray, Santos’s attorney, thanked Trump in a statement to Agence France-Presse, calling him "the greatest President in US history," according to Guardian.
Trump’s decision to grant clemency came after strong support from key Republican allies for Santos. One of his main supporters, Marjorie Taylor Greene, said the conviction was unfair and asked the president to help. Trump shared his decision on social media and wished Santos well.
Trump has earlier used his platform to contrast Santos’s case with that of Senator Richard Blumenthal, accusing Blumenthal of dishonestly claiming military service. As noted by Guardian, 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!"
Before the commutation, Santos described his time in prison as lacking basic human dignity. In a Truth Social post cited by Gothamist, he stated that humane treatment was given only when convenient.
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