President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of George Santos, the openly gay former Republican congressman from New York, who is serving for fraud and identity theft. Trump announced the move on Truth Social, calling Santos “somewhat of a rogue” and claiming he had been “horribly mistreated.” Trump wrote, “I just signed a commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, immediately. Good luck George, have a great life.” Santos, 37, pleaded guilty to 23 felonies, including wire fraud and falsifying records, after prosecutors said he stole donor identities and used campaign funds for luxury items, Botox, and online subscriptions. A judge sentenced him to 87 months in April. Ed Martin, Trump-aligned pardon attorney, said on Twitter, “I was honored as U.S. Pardon Attorney to have played a small role… Thank you, Mr. President, for making clemency great again.” Trump justified the clemency by noting, “At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had lobbied for Santos’s release, wrote, “THANK YOU President Trump for releasing George Santos!! He was unfairly treated and put in solitary confinement, which is torture.” Santos has reportedly asked to be held in solitary confinement.
