On Oct. 17, President Donald Trump said he had signed a commutation that would immediately release openly gay former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from prison, NBC News reported.
“George has been in solitary confinement or long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
In April, Santos was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading to charges of committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was among those campaigning for a Santos pardon. In an interview with NBC News, she said she had been in contact with the Department of Justice in recent weeks regarding the possibility.
In May 2023, Santos was indicted on federal charges, including money laundering and wire fraud, and was the subject of a 23-count superseding indictment in October of that year. At first, he pled not guilty to the charges and refused to resign from Congress; he was expelled in December 2023.
Among others Trump has pardoned are former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and approximately 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.