George Santos, the Republican who won a congressional seat by fabricating details of his life story, then went to prison for fraud, was given clemency by President Donald Trump.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
President Donald Trump on Friday (October 17, 2025) commuted the more than seven-year prison sentence of former U.S. Representative George Santos for fraud and identity theft, ordering his immediate release.
Santos, who was expelled from Congress after a brief, scandal-plagued tenure, had pleaded guilty to inflating fundraising figures and falsifying donor names to secure Republican Party financial support during the 2022 election cycle. He was elected that year to represent a portion of New York City and its eastern suburbs.
During his campaign, Santos falsely claimed he attended New York University, worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and that his grandparents had fled the Nazis during World War II.
On Friday, Trump said Santos had been “horribly mistreated” in prison.
“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our country who aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“Therefore, I just signed a commutation, releasing George Santos from prison IMMEDIATELY,” he added.
Santos spent much of his 11-month term engulfed in scandal, sidelined by fellow lawmakers, and mocked by late-night comedians after it was revealed he had fabricated much of his personal history.
Published – October 18, 2025 05:21 am IST
