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George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. Home of Representatives, arrives for the sentencing in his legal corruption costs at Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, U.S., April 25, 2025.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
President Donald Trump on Friday night stated he has commuted the jail sentence of George Santos, releasing the disgraced former Republican congressman instantly.
Santos “was considerably of a ‘rogue,’ however there are a lot of rogues all through our Nation that are not pressured to serve seven years in jail,” Trump wrote in a Fact Social submit.
Santos was sentenced to 87 months in federal jail this yr after pleading responsible to committing wire fraud and aggravated id theft. He started serving his sentence in late July.
The 37-year-old New York consultant served within the Home for lower than a yr earlier than he was expelled from Congress beneath a cloud of scandal in December 2023.
Even earlier than he was sworn in, Santos admitted mendacity about key particulars of his life on the marketing campaign path. Whereas in Congress, he was charged by the Division of Justice with an array of federal crimes together with fraud, theft, cash laundering and making false statements.
Trump’s choice to commute Santos’ sentence got here after a number of mates and allies of the imprisoned ex-politician made appeals for his clemency, a senior White Home official informed NBC Information on Friday night.
Trump had additionally not too long ago learn Santos’ writings from jail, describing his dwelling circumstances, the official informed NBC.
In a flattery-filled letter revealed Monday in native Lengthy Island information outlet The South Shore Press, Santos immediately requested Trump immediately for clemency.
“You may have all the time been a person of second possibilities, a frontrunner who believes in redemption and renewal,” Santos wrote. “I’m asking you now, from the depths of my coronary heart, to increase that very same perception to me.”
In his social media submit Friday, Trump stated he started interested by Santos after being reminded of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who weathered heavy criticism throughout his 2010 Senate marketing campaign for saying he had “served in Vietnam” when he had by no means deployed there.
Trump had stated earlier in October that Blumenthal “ought to be investigated, and Justice ought to be sought.” The assault got here hours after Legal professional Common Pam Bondi, in a combative and politically charged Senate listening to, immediately accused Blumenthal of mendacity about his navy file.
Blumenthal stated in 2010 that he had misspoken about his service on a number of events. On CNN final week, the senator stated Trump’s accusations are “utterly misleading and distorted.”
Trump didn’t serve within the navy.
Trump wrote Friday that Blumenthal’s file “is much worse than what George Santos did, and not less than Santos had the Braveness, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”
“George has been in solitary confinement for lengthy stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump wrote.
“Subsequently, I simply signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from jail, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have an excellent life!”
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