New York (AFP) – US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had commuted the sentence issued against the former US Representative. George Santosfrom He was scheduled to serve More than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges.
Joseph Murray, one of Santos’ lawyers, told The Associated Press late Friday that the former deputy was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, around 11 p.m., and was greeted by his family outside the facility.
The New York Republican was sentenced in April after pleading guilty last year to defrauding donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his family members — to make donations to his campaign.
he It has been reported FCI Fairton on July 25 and was housed in a minimum security prison camp with less than 50 other inmates.
“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues all over our country who did not have to spend seven years in prison,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. He said he “just signed a commutation agreement that Jorge Santos will be released from prison immediately.”
“Good luck George, have a great life!” Trump said.
Santos’ X account, which was active throughout nearly 84 days in prison, reposted a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post on Friday.
During his time behind bars, Santos wrote regular letters to a local Long Island newspaper, where he mainly complained about prison conditions.
However, in his final message, he appealed directly to Trump, citing his loyalty to the president and the Republican Party’s agenda.
He added: “Sir, I appeal to your sense of justice and humanity, the same qualities that have inspired millions of Americans to believe in you.” Books at South Shore Press On October 13th. “I humbly ask you to consider the extraordinary pain and hardship of this environment and to allow me the opportunity to return to my family, friends, and community.”
Commuting Santos’ sentence is Trump’s latest high-profile decision An act of compassion of former Republican politicians since reclaiming the White House in January.
In late May, he pardoned the former US Representative. Michael Grimma New York Republican who in 2014 pleaded guilty to underreporting wages and revenues at a restaurant he managed in Manhattan. He also pardoned the former governor of Connecticut. John Rowlandwhose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two stints in federal prison.
But by granting a pardon to Santos, Trump was rewarding a figure who had drawn contempt within his own party.
After becoming the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, Santos served less than a year after it was revealed that much of his life story was fabricated.
During the election campaign, Santos claimed to be a successful business consultant with Wall Street credibility and a large real estate portfolio. But when his resume came under scrutiny, Santos eventually admitted that he never graduated from Baruch College — or was a standout player on the Manhattan College volleyball team, as he claimed. He has not previously worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
It wasn’t Even Judaism. Santos insisted he meant “Jewish” because his mother’s family had a Jewish background, even though he was raised Catholic.
In fact, the 34-year-old was struggling financially and even faced eviction.
Santos was charged in 2023 with Stealing from donors and his campaignHe collected unemployment benefits fraudulently and lied to Congress about his wealth.
Within months he was Expelled from the US House of Representatives – with 105 Republicans joining Democrats to make just Santos Sixth member In the history of the room to be overthrown by colleagues..
Santos plead guilty While he was scheduled to be tried.
However, a former prominent House colleague, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor GreeneHe urged the White House to commute Santos’ sentence, saying in a letter sent a few days after trying to jail him that the sentence was a “gross injustice” and the product of judicial overreach.
Green was among those who cheered the announcement Friday. But U.S. Rep. Nick Lalota, a Republican who represents part of Long Island and has been a vocal critic of Santos, said in a social media post that Santos “didn’t just lie” and that his crimes “deserved more than three months in prison.”
“He should devote the rest of his life to showing remorse and making amends to those he wronged,” Lalota said.
Santos’ pardon appears to clear not only prison time, but also any “further fines, restitution, probation, supervised release, or other conditions,” according to a copy of Trump’s order. Published on X By Ed Martin, Department of Justice Pardon Attorney.
As part of his guilty plea, Santos agreed to pay restitution of $373,750 and forfeit $205,003.
Explaining why Santos was granted clemency, Trump said the lies Santos told about himself were no worse than misleading statements made by US Senator Richard Blumenthal – a Democrat and frequent critic of the administration. He talked about his military record.
Blumenthal apologized 15 years ago for implying that he had served in Vietnam, when he was in the US Naval Reserve during the war.
“This is much worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the courage, conviction and intelligence to always vote Republican!” Trump wrote.
It was the president himself He was convicted in a New York court Last year in a case involving payment for silence. He derided the case as part of a politically motivated witch hunt.
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Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York and Susan Hay in Connecticut.
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