Overview

• Trump announced the commutation on Truth Social on Oct. 17, saying Santos would leave federal custody immediately.
• George Santos pleaded guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and began serving an 87‑month sentence in July at FCI Fairton in New Jersey.
• Trump asserted that Santos spent long stretches in solitary confinement and was “horribly mistreated,” and he contrasted the case with Blumenthal’s past statements about Vietnam service.
• The commutation ends Santos’ prison term but does not erase his convictions, resulting in release after only a few months behind bars.
• Santos was expelled from the House in 2023 following ethics findings, and prosecutors had argued for a lengthy sentence with restitution and forfeiture to reflect the seriousness of his schemes.