Trump ends sentence of controversial lying ex-congressman

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had commuted the sentence of former Congressman George Santos, who is serving more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges.

The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people, including his own family members, to make donations to his campaign.

Since July 25, he has been housed in a minimum security prison camp in the state of New Jersey with fewer than 50 other inmates.

“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

He said he had “just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY.”

“Good luck George, have a great life!” Trump said.

Andrew Mancilla, one of Santos’ lawyers, said on Friday he was “very, very happy with the decision,” though he said it’s unclear at this point when Santos will be released.

During his time behind bars, Santos has been writing regular dispatches in a local newspaper, called The South Shore Press.

In his latest letter, published last week, Santos pleaded to Trump directly, citing his support for the president’s agenda and to the Republican Party.

“Sir, I appeal to your sense of justice and humanity — the same qualities that have inspired millions of Americans to believe in you,” he wrote.

“I humbly ask that you consider the unusual pain and hardship of this environment and allow me the opportunity to return to my family, my friends, and my community.”

After becoming the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, Santos served in office for less than a year after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story.

On the campaign trail, Santos had claimed he was a successful business consultant with Wall Street cred and a sizable real estate portfolio.

But he was later exposed when his resume came under scrutiny.

He had never worked on Wall Street and he was never a top college volleyball player, as he had claimed.

He was not Jewish, as he had claimed on the campaign trail, and Santos even falsely claimed that his mother was killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

He even reportedly claimed to donors that he helped produce the Spider-Man musical on Broadway.

In truth, the then-34-year-old was struggling financially and even faced eviction.

Santos was charged in 2023 with stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.

Within months, he was expelled from the US House of Representatives, with 105 Republicans joining with Democrats to make Santos just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues.

Santos pleaded guilty as he was set to stand trial.

With AP

THE BIZARRE STORY OF GEORGE SANTOS

November 8, 2022: Santos defeats Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the first known US congressional election featuring two openly gay candidates.

December 19, 2022: The New York Times publishes a story questioning whether Santos made up parts of his resume.

December 26, 2022: Santos admits fabricating some details of his biography, including that he had worked for major banks Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Despite calling himself “a proud American Jew”, he now insists he “never claimed to be Jewish” but rather “Jew-ish.”

December 28, 2022: Prosecutors say they have launched an investigation into Santos.

January 2023: Santos is sworn into office. Questions surface about how he financed his campaign after filings offer contradictory accounts.

January 31, 2023: Santos steps down from his congressional committees but says he won’t resign.

February 2023: Revelations surface that Santos had been charged with stealing puppies in Pennsylvania in 2017 by using bad cheques. The case was dismissed after Santos said the cheques came from a chequebook that had been stolen from him.

March 2, 2023: The House Ethics Committee announces an investigation into Santos.

May 10, 2023: Santos is indicted and pleads not guilty to federal charges that he stole from donors and his campaign, collected unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve and lied to Congress about his wealth.

October 10, 2023: A new indictment accuses Santos of stealing donors’ IDs and making unauthorized charges to their credit cards. Santos pleads not guilty to the revised charges later that month.

November 16, 2023: The House Ethics Committee says in a scathing report on Santos that it amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking, concluding flatly that he “cannot be trusted.”

December 1, 2023: Santos is expelled by the House on a vote of 311-114, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required.

August 19, 2024: Weeks before the case was to go to trial, Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, blaming his ambition for clouding his judgment and saying he was “flooded with deep regret.”

April 25, 2025: Santos is sentenced in federal court to more than seven years in prison.

October 17, 2025: US President Donald Trump commutes Santos’ sentence.