President Donald Trump announced on Friday evening that he has commuted the prison sentence of George Santos, immediately releasing the disgraced former Republican congressman.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Santos as “somewhat of a ‘rogue,'” but noted that “there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison.” Santos had been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison earlier this year after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He began serving his sentence in late July.

The 37-year-old New York representative served in the House for less than a year before he was expelled amid scandal in December 2023. Even before being sworn in, Santos admitted to lying about key details of his life during the campaign. While in Congress, he faced multiple federal charges including fraud, theft, money laundering, and making false statements.

Trump’s decision to commute Santos’ sentence came after several friends and allies of the imprisoned ex-politician appealed for clemency, according to a senior White House official who spoke with NBC News. The official also revealed that Trump had recently read writings from Santos about his living conditions in prison.

Earlier this week, Santos published a letter in The South Shore Press, a local Long Island news outlet, directly appealing to Trump for clemency. “You have always been a man of second chances, a leader who believes in redemption and renewal,” Santos wrote. “I am asking you now, from the depths of my heart, to extend that same belief to me.”

In his Truth Social post on Friday, Trump also referenced Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who faced criticism during his 2010 Senate campaign for claiming he had “served in Vietnam” despite never being deployed there. Trump had called for an investigation into Blumenthal, and earlier this month, Attorney General Pam Bondi accused the senator of lying about his military record during a politically charged Senate hearing.

Blumenthal has since stated that he “misspoke” on multiple occasions and dismissed Trump’s accusations as “completely deceptive and distorted.”

Trump, who did not serve in the military, wrote that Blumenthal’s record “is far worse than what George Santos did,” adding that Santos “had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

Addressing Santos’ time in prison, Trump said, “George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated.”

Concluding his post, Trump announced, “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/17/trump-george-santos-prison-commutation.html

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