President Donald Trump commuted the seven-year prison sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos on October 17, 2025, releasing him from a New Jersey federal facility after less than three months served for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Santos had pleaded guilty in August 2024 to stealing from campaign donors, fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lying to Congress about his finances, with the commutation preserving his $374,000 restitution and forfeiture obligations.
Trump cited Santos’ Republican loyalty in a Truth Social post announcing the decision, which drew sharp partisan divides including criticism from Democrats like Sen. Amy Klobuchar and support from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
