{"id":14594,"date":"2025-10-18T18:20:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T18:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/trump-commutes-former-rep-george-santos-prison-sentence\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T18:20:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T18:20:19","slug":"trump-commutes-former-rep-george-santos-prison-sentence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/trump-commutes-former-rep-george-santos-prison-sentence\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump commutes former Rep. George Santos’ prison sentence"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By We are Salam<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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President Donald Trump is commuting the sentence of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y.,<\/a> and said the disgraced lawmaker should be quickly released from prison. <\/p>\n

“George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump posted<\/a> on Truth Social Friday evening. “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”<\/p>\n

Trump called the 37-year-old Santos something of a “rogue,” but added that he was also “a Great Hero.” A senior White House official told NBC News<\/a> that the president “heard from so many people, and in recent days he decided it was the right decision. It’s his call, and he made it.”<\/p>\n

Santos was arrested in 2023 on federal charges related to wire fraud, money laundering and theft. He eventually pleaded guilty<\/a> to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine. He began serving his sentence in New Jersey this July.<\/p>\n

Elected to Congress in 2022 after flipping a Democratic seat in Long Island, Santos’ political career was polarizing but short. The North Shore Leader, a small Long Island-based outlet, reported on significant holes <\/a>in his resume and personal backstory before the election, but the story didn’t resonate widely until The New York Times uncovered more discrepancies<\/a> after Santos was elected but before he took office.<\/p>\n

A House Ethics Committee investigation<\/a> later found that there was “substantial evidence” he misused campaign funds for personal reasons, including Botox, a subscriptions to OnlyFans and other luxury items. The House formally voted to remove Santos from office in December 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n

Santos is “overjoyed” and “appreciative” to Trump for “his compassion in seeing the suffering Mr. Santos endured through the prosecution,” his lawyer told NBC News<\/a>adding that his client’s sentence was “draconian.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We are Salam<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for BLN Digital. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n