George Santos, the former Republican congressman from New York, was freed from federal prison after serving less than three months of an 87-month sentence. Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft before being sentenced last spring.
Santos’s release comes after he had spent months campaigning for clemency through social media, newspaper columns, and letters from Republican allies. President Trump commuted his sentence, granting him early release as part of a broader wave of pardons and commutations.
In the months leading up to his release, Santos wrote regular columns in a small newspaper, detailing his experiences in prison. He also received support from Republican lawmakers, including Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
Santos had previously claimed that he was ready to accept his sentence but later took to social media to plead for clemency. His campaign gained traction after President Trump issued a statement saying, “He lied like hell,” referring to Santos’s history of deceit.
The decision to commute Santos’s sentence has been met with criticism from some who argue that it sets a bad precedent for the use of executive power in pardoning cases.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/nyregion/george-santos-prison-trump.html