Who is George Santos? Trump frees disgraced Ex-Congressman jailed for fraud and identity theft
Former Congressman, George Santos. Image Credit: Wikipedia
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos, once hailed as a rising Republican star, has been released from prison after President Donald Trump commuted his seven-year sentence for fraud and identity theft. The decision has reignited fierce debate over political accountability, justice, and presidential power.
A Rapid Rise Built on Deception
Santos, 36, won New York’s 3rd Congressional District seat in 2022, flipping a key district in Long Island and Queens. His victory was a major GOP gain, but his career soon unraveled when The New York Times revealed he had fabricated nearly every detail of his background, from education to employment and even his family’s Holocaust history.
He falsely claimed to have worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and said his grandparents had fled Nazi persecution. Within weeks, investigations exposed that Santos had lied on campaign forms, stolen donor identities, and misused political funds for personal luxury, including designer goods, Botox, and adult content subscriptions on OnlyFans.
READ ALSO
Government Shutdown deepens: What is next as U.S. faces third-longest funding crisis in history?
From Congress to Conviction
By 2023, Santos faced 23 federal felony charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors accused him of charging donors’ credit cards without consent and falsely claiming unemployment benefits while working for a Florida investment firm.
That same year, the House of Representatives expelled him, making him only the sixth member in U.S. history to be removed. A House Ethics Committee report detailed how he defrauded supporters and fabricated loans to enrich himself.
In April 2025, a federal judge sentenced Santos to seven years in prison and ordered him to pay over $370,000 in restitution. The judge described his conduct as “a campaign of deception” that “undermined public trust.”
Trump’s Surprise Commutation
On October 17, 2025, President Donald Trump announced Santos’s release via social media, declaring the former lawmaker had been “horribly mistreated.”
“I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison immediately. Good luck George — have a great life!” Trump posted.
The move came just three months into Santos’s sentence. Trump defended his decision by comparing Santos’s actions to those of Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat accused years earlier of exaggerating his military service.
“This is far worse than what George Santos did,” Trump wrote, “and at least Santos had the courage and conviction to always vote Republican.”
Why Was George Santos Released?
A commutation reduces a convict’s sentence but does not erase their guilt. Trump’s reasoning appeared rooted in political loyalty rather than legal argument. Santos had recently published a “passionate plea” letter to Trump, asking for fairness and forgiveness.
In his letter, Santos expressed remorse, writing:
“I know I have made mistakes. I take full responsibility for my actions. But no man deserves to be lost in the system, forgotten and unseen.”
Following the announcement, Santos’s lawyer, Joseph Murray, thanked Trump, calling the act “an overdue correction to an excessive punishment.”
What’s Next for George Santos?
Despite his freedom, Santos remains a convicted felon and cannot hold public office unless pardoned. His commutation adds to Trump’s growing list of controversial interventions, including previous pardons for ex-lawmakers Michael Grimm and John Rowland.
Whether Santos will attempt a political comeback or retreat from public life remains uncertain. But his release has reignited questions about how truth, power, and partisanship intersect in American politics.
FAQ
1. Who is George Santos?
George Santos is a former U.S. Congressman from New York known for fabricating much of his biography. He was convicted of fraud and identity theft and expelled from Congress in 2023.
2. What crimes did George Santos commit?
Santos was convicted of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and theft of public funds. He misused campaign donations and stole personal data from supporters and relatives.
3. Why was George Santos released from prison?
President Donald Trump commuted Santos’s seven-year sentence, citing unfair treatment. The commutation shortens his prison term but does not erase his conviction.
4. What is the difference between a commutation and a pardon?
A commutation reduces or ends a prison sentence, while a pardon clears the individual’s criminal record. Santos’s conviction still stands.
5. Where was George Santos imprisoned?
He was serving his sentence at a minimum-security facility in New Jersey before his release on October 17, 2025.
6. What did the House Ethics Report say about Santos?
The report accused him of stealing campaign funds, lying about finances, and spending donor money on Botox, luxury goods, and adult content.
7. How did George Santos’s lies come to light?
In 2022, The New York Times published an investigation exposing false claims about his education, career, and family background, triggering a wave of probes.
8. Can George Santos return to politics?
Unless granted a presidential pardon, Santos remains ineligible for public office due to his felony convictions.
9. What has Santos said since his release?
He thanked President Trump and said he hoped to “rebuild his life and faith in the system.”
10. Why did Trump defend George Santos?
Trump argued that Santos was treated unfairly compared to Democrats accused of similar misconduct, praising him for his loyalty to the Republican Party.