President Donald Trump has commuted the federal prison sentence of former U.S. Congressman George Santos, a controversial move that immediately sparked political backlash and renewed debate over Trump's use of presidential clemency.
Santos, who was serving an 87-month sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, will now be released early after Trump signed the commutation order on Friday. Santos entered federal custody in July at FCI Fairton in New Jersey following his conviction, which stemmed from schemes that included defrauding political donors and illegally receiving unemployment benefits.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump acknowledged Santos was a "rogue" figure, but praised his political allegiance.
"At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN! George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated," Trump wrote.
Trump claimed the decision was also influenced by what he called double standards in Washington. He compared Santos' crimes to past misleading statements by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who once falsely implied he served in combat during the Vietnam War before later apologizing and saying he had misspoken. Trump has lied about Blumenthal repeatedly, greatly exaggerating the extent of the Senator's misstatements.
Trump argued Blumenthal faced no legal consequences for his actions, calling them "far worse than what George Santos did."
Santos had expressed fear for his safety behind bars shortly after arriving at the New Jersey facility, stating publicly that he worried about being assaulted or even killed in prison but emphasized he was "not suicidal."
As of Friday evening, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed Santos remained in custody, and it remains unclear when exactly he will be released. The commutation spares Santos the remainder of his prison term, but it does not erase his felony conviction.
Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives in December 2023 following mounting ethics scandals, has not yet issued a public statement in response to Trump's decision. The White House has not commented on whether additional commutations or pardons are expected in the coming weeks.