WASHINGTON — On Friday, President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of former Long Island Representative George Santos, a Republican who was ousted from his position and sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft earlier this year. Santos' attorney, Joseph Murray, confirmed to The Associated Press that the ex-lawmaker was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, at approximately 11 p.m., where he was welcomed by his family.
Trump made the announcement of Santos' commutation on his social media platform, Truth Social, referring to Santos as a “somewhat of a ‘rogue.’” The president emphasized that “at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” He expressed concern over Santos’ treatment in prison, stating, “George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated. Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
Santos' lead attorney, Joe Murray, praised Trump in a text message to Newsday, expressing his gratitude: “God bless President Donald Trump, the greatest President in U.S. History!” He punctuated his message with an American flag emoji, highlighting his support for Trump.
In August 2024, Santos, 37, pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding campaign donors during his 2022 run for New York’s 3rd Congressional District. Santos, who was born in Queens to Brazilian immigrants, managed to flip the seat for the district covering parts of Nassau and eastern Queens, presenting himself as a political insurgent inspired by Trump’s 2016 victory.
However, an investigative report by The New York Times shortly after Santos' election unveiled discrepancies in his background. He falsely claimed academic credentials from institutions he never attended and fabricated employment history with top-tier companies, along with claiming Jewish ancestry. Following a bipartisan inquiry by the House Ethics Committee regarding allegations of false statements in his congressional financial disclosures, Santos was expelled from office in December 2023. This made him only the sixth member in the history of Congress to face expulsion.
In 2023, federal investigators indicted Santos on multiple serious charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, making false statements to Congress, identity theft, and unauthorized use of donor credit cards. Initially pleading not guilty, Santos later changed his plea to guilty in August 2024.
In April, he was sentenced to 87 months in prison and ordered to repay nearly $375,000 in funds, along with forfeiting more than $200,000. Santos reported to a minimum-security prison, FCI Fairton, in New Jersey in July, where he documented his experiences through a column with The South Shore Press, a publication based in Center Moriches.
In his September column, Santos claimed he was in protective custody due to concerns over an alleged plot to kill him while incarcerated. He wrote, “The only hope I have is that President Trump will see this and take me out of this horrid situation and let me go back to my family.”
Following the news of Santos' commutation, reactions from Long Island's political landscape were overwhelmingly negative. Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) stated, “The President has the discretion to commute sentences for people convicted of federal crimes,” but lamented that the victims of Santos’ actions “still have not been made whole, including the people he stole from and the voters he defrauded.” He emphasized that the less than three months Santos spent in jail did not equate to justice.
Representative Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) echoed similar sentiments in a post on X, asserting that Santos’ crimes “warrant more than a three-month sentence” and that he should dedicate his life to demonstrating remorse and making restitution to those he wronged.
On the other side of the political spectrum, Robert Zimmerman, the Democratic National Committeeman from Great Neck who lost to Santos during the 2022 election, criticized Trump’s decision. He accused the former president of attempting to imprison his political enemies while releasing Santos, who committed “unconscionable crimes” and concealed significant fraud.
“For Donald Trump to erase the consequences of those crimes — simply because Santos votes Republican — should outrage every American who values law and order,” Zimmerman declared.
Additionally, Jody Kass Finkle, an organizer for the group Concerned Citizens for NY-3, expressed her discontent over Trump’s commutation, stating that their group, which includes voters from both parties, was “appalled” by the decision. “We feel betrayed by Trump, and we feel betrayed by the Republican Party,” she lamented.
Newsday’s Nicole Fuller and The Associated Press contributed to this developing story.
