President Donald Trump said Friday that he had signed a commutation that would immediately release former Rep. George Santos, R.N.Y., from prison.
“George has been in solitary confinement for long periods of time and by all indications has been horribly mistreated,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday night. “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.
Last year, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, conduct that prosecutors said was part of a years-long scheme that took advantage of the campaign finance system and his own political party, donors and family members to line his own pockets.
A senior White House official said Trump made the decision to help Santos this week. The official added that “many people wrote to him about it.”
“The communications that President Trump received on this issue were overwhelming,” another White House official said. “He listened to a lot of people and in the last few days he decided it was the right decision. It’s his decision and he made it.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has publicly campaigned for Santos’ pardon. In an interview with NBC News this week, he said he had been in contact with the Justice Department in recent weeks about the possibility.
Greene declined to say whether she had spoken directly to Trump about the matter.
Greene argued that Santos’ punishment was too harsh.
“George Santos never raped anyone, he never murdered anyone, he is not a child sex trafficker. Why is he in solitary confinement?” he said, adding: “That is extreme treatment for someone for the crimes he was convicted of.”
Greene began asking for forgiveness after learning that Santos had spent more than a month in solitary confinement.
This is a development history. Please check back for updates.
Jonathan Allen, Matt Dixon, Katherine Koretski and Dareh Gregorian contributed.
