U.S. President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of George Santos, a former Republican congressman, who was serving seven years for fraud and identity theft. This decision allows for Santos’s immediate release from prison, which he is serving in a minimum-security facility in New Jersey. In his announcement on social media, Trump described Santos as having been “horribly mistreated” and wished him well.
Santos is notable for being the sixth member of Congress in U.S. history to be expelled, a decision made after an ethics report in 2023 highlighted serious misconduct. He admitted to stealing the identities of 11 individuals, including family members. During his sentencing in April, a judge remarked on the deceptive nature of his election campaign, stating that he was elected with numerous falsehoods.
Prosecutors claimed that Santos misrepresented his background and misused campaign funds for personal expenses. In Trump’s post regarding the commutation, he criticized Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic lawmaker, for alleged fabrications regarding his military service, suggesting that Santos’s actions were less severe.
Blumenthal has previously acknowledged misstatements about his military history, asserting that these occurred over a decade ago and have been dismissed by Connecticut voters through repeated elections. Santos’s attorney stated that the timeline for his client’s release remains uncertain, but praised Trump for the commutation, claiming the original sentence was excessive.
The investigations into Santos begun after a New York Times article revealed various fabrications about his credentials, including false claims about academic achievements and employment. Subsequent inquiries led to 23 felony charges against him, which included allegations of misusing funds for personal luxury items. Earlier this week, Santos wrote an open letter to Trump, appealing for a pardon and expressing his desire to reconnect with his community and family. Trump has previously pardoned other Republican politicians during his presidency.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5q3439xpqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss