Who Is George Santos and What Did He Do? Trump Commutes Sentence, Washington Erupts Over Clemency

A polarising political saga took a fresh turn on Friday, as President Donald Trump commuted George Santos' more than seven-year federal prison sentence, an extraordinary intervention in one of Washington's most contentious recent scandals.

Santos, a New York Republican who pleaded guilty to fraud and identity theft, had been serving his term at a minimum-security camp in Fairton, New Jersey.

The Unbelievable Lies That Defined George Santos

Before the scandal, Santos presented himself as a Wall Street savant and the son of Brazilian immigrants living the American dream. He claimed degrees from Baruch College, where he was supposedly a star volleyball player, and a high-flying career at financial giants like Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

He even claimed to be 'Jew-ish', a statement he later defended by saying his mother's family had Jewish roots, despite being raised Catholic.

The reality was a world away. Santos, then 34, had never graduated from college or worked at those prestigious firms. He was facing eviction and financial hardship, a stark contrast to the wealthy real estate mogul persona he had carefully crafted.

What Crimes Did George Santos Commit?

His web of deceit unravelled, leading to serious federal charges in 2023. Santos was accused of stealing from campaign donors, fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits, and lying to Congress about his personal wealth.

The fallout was swift and brutal.

Within months, his own colleagues voted to expel him from the US House of Representatives, an ignominious end that made him only the sixth member in the chamber's history to be ousted. Facing trial, Santos pleaded guilty to charges including fraud and identity theft, having stolen the identities of 11 people—including his own family—to funnel donations to his campaign.

Why Did Donald Trump Free George Santos?

Santos was sentenced in April and reported to a minimum-security federal prison in New Jersey on 25 July. But just months into his more than seven-year sentence, he found an unlikely saviour in Donald Trump. On Friday, the US President announced he had commuted the former congressman's sentence.

'I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY', Trump declared on social media.

The move followed public appeals from Santos, who claimed his sentence was politically motivated, and from staunch Trump ally Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called the punishment a 'grave injustice'. The judge in the case had disagreed, siding with prosecutors who felt a stiffer sentence was warranted due to Santos's lack of remorse.

This act of clemency is the latest in a series of high-profile pardons Trump has granted to former Republican politicians. He previously pardoned former U.S. Congressman Michael Grimm and former Connecticut governor John Dowland, both of whom had been embroiled in their own scandals. The decision comes as Trump himself continues to describe his own 2024 hush money conviction as part of a politically motivated witch hunt.