U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday issued an order for the immediate release of former Congressman George Santos, who had been sentenced to over seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft.
اضافة اعلان
Santos, who was expelled from Congress shortly after a scandal-ridden term, had pleaded guilty to inflating fundraising numbers and falsifying donor names to secure financial support for the Republican Party during the 2022 election cycle.
He was elected that year to represent a portion of New York City and its eastern suburbs.
During his campaign, Santos falsely claimed that he had attended New York University, worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and that his ancestors had fled the Nazis during World War II.
Trump said that Santos had been “treated very badly” in prison.
In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “George Santos was a rogue, but there are many rogues across our country who are not forced to serve seven years in prison.”
He added, “So, I just signed an order to commute the sentence and release George Santos from prison immediately.”
Santos had spent 11 months in prison, during which he faced ongoing scandals, was ignored by fellow lawmakers, and became the subject of ridicule by some comedians after much of his personal history was revealed to be fabricated.
—Reuters
