Useful information
Prime News delivers timely, accurate news and insights on global events, politics, business, and technology
George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, arrives to be sentenced on his criminal corruption charges at the Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, United States, on April 25, 2025.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
President Donald Trump said Friday night that he had commuted George Santos’ prison sentence, immediately freeing the disgraced former Republican congressman.
Santos “was something of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues across our country who are not forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump wrote in a Social Truth Posting.
Santos was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison this year after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He began serving his sentence at the end of July.
The 37-year-old New York representative served in the House for less than a year before being expelled from Congress under a cloud of scandal in December 2023.
Even before taking the oath of office, Santos admitted to lying about key details of his life during the election campaign. While in Congress, the Justice Department charged him with a number of federal crimes, including fraud, theft, money laundering, and false statements.
Trump’s decision to commute Santos’ sentence came after several friends and allies of the imprisoned former politician asked for clemency, a senior White House official told NBC News on Friday night.
Trump had also recently read Santos’ statement. writings from prisondescribing their living conditions, the official told NBC.
in a letter full of compliments Published Monday in local Long Island news outlet The South Shore Press, Santos directly asked Trump for clemency.
“You have always been a man of second chances, a leader who believes in redemption and renewal,” Santos wrote. “I ask you now, from the bottom of my heart, to extend that same belief to me.”
In his Friday social media post, Trump said he began thinking about Santos after remembering Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who withstood heavy criticism during his 2010 Senate campaign for saying he had “served in Vietnam” when he had never deployed there.
Trump had said in early October that Blumenthal “should be investigated and justice should be sought.” The attack came hours after Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a combative and politically charged Senate hearing, directly accused Blumenthal of lying about his military history.
Blumenthal said in 2010 who had spoken badly about their service on multiple occasions. On CNN last week, The senator called Trump’s allegations “completely misleading and distorted.”
Trump did not serve in the military.
Trump wrote Friday that Blumenthal’s record “is much worse than George Santos’, and at least Santos had the courage, conviction and intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”
“George has been in solitary confinement for long periods of time and, by all indications, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump wrote.
“Therefore, I just signed a commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
