Just days after his dramatic release from federal prison, George Santos—the former Republican congressman whose political career imploded amid scandal—has reemerged into the public eye, thanking former President Donald Trump for commuting his sentence and vowing to devote his future to prison reform. Santos, who was less than three months into a seven-year sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was granted an immediate commutation by Trump on October 17, 2025, setting off a firestorm of reaction across the political spectrum.
Appearing on both CNN’s “State of the Union” and Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Weekend” on October 19, Santos insisted he was not "getting away with" his crimes, despite the abrupt end to his incarceration. "I understand people want to make this into 'He's getting away with it.' I'm not getting away with it, I was the first person to ever go to federal prison for a civil violation ... I don't want to focus on trying to rehash the past and want to take the experience and do good and move on with the future. Repentance is an understatement. I have been dealt a second chance," Santos said, as reported by ABC News.
The clemency, confirmed by a photo of the official grant posted on X by U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, wiped away all remaining fines, restitution, probation, supervised release, or other conditions. "I do not have any pendencies with the law anymore. I have no restitution. I have no probation," Santos declared on Fox News, adding, "most of the restitution was really insane." These comments came after he had previously agreed, as part of his plea deal, to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution and forfeiture—a figure later clarified by prosecutors as nearly $374,000 owed to his victims, according to NBC News.
Santos’ legal saga began in earnest after his 2022 election to Congress, when The New York Times revealed he had fabricated much of his resume, including his education, employment, and even religion. By December 2023, the House Ethics Committee found "substantial evidence" that Santos had violated federal criminal laws, prompting his expulsion from Congress. In April 2025, he pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to wire fraud and identity theft, admitting to lying to Congress, embezzling money from campaign donors, charging credit cards without authorization, and fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Further investigations uncovered that Santos had improperly spent campaign funds on Botox, designer fashion, cosmetics, and OnlyFans purchases—a detail that became fodder for late-night hosts and political opponents alike. In his own words, prison had been a humbling experience. "Prison is the great equalizer," he told Fox News, describing how he had been incarcerated alongside "a billionaire" as well as "people who were homeless."
Yet Santos’ time behind bars was not without controversy. He accused the warden of Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in New Jersey, whom he referred to as “Warden Kelly,” of retaliatory treatment, claiming he was placed in segregated isolation after 41 days "for no valid reason." In columns for The South Shore Press on Long Island, Santos wrote about feeling isolated and threatened, stating, "I sometimes feel the life leaving my body, a slow leaking of hope. Those who permitted, enabled or ignored this neglect will be held accountable. Call it justice, oversight, a storm of accountability—it will come." The Bureau of Prisons did not respond to requests for comment, citing a "lapse in appropriations."
On his first day out of the special housing unit, Santos said he attended Mass and spent time in confession with a priest. The next day, he learned of his commutation—a surprise, he said, which he discovered after other inmates called him over to see the news on television. He then called relatives, who confirmed he would soon be released.
Trump’s commutation of Santos’ sentence was announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, where the former president claimed Santos had been "horribly mistreated" and described him as "a bit of a 'rogue,'" but praised his loyalty, saying, "at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!" Trump also used the announcement to swipe at Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., accusing him of worse behavior for misrepresenting his military service. Blumenthal, for his part, dismissed Trump’s "rant" as "fabricated nonsense," telling NBC News there was "no excuse for commuting George Santos’ sentence."
The backlash to Santos’ release was swift and emotional. Richard Osthoff, a Navy veteran who has accused Santos of pocketing money from a GoFundMe campaign for his dog’s lifesaving surgery, told NBC News, "My gut dropped; I felt like I was going to throw up," upon hearing the news. Critics on both sides of the aisle questioned the wisdom of granting clemency to a convicted fraudster, while Santos himself remained unrepentant toward his detractors. "Pardon me if I’m not paying too much attention to the pearl clutching of the outrage of my critics," he told CNN. "I’m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics. So that’s just the reality of our country."
When pressed about whether he would pay back the restitution ordered by the court, Santos equivocated. "I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me," he said on CNN. "If it’s required of me by the law, yes. If it’s not, then no. I will do whatever the law requires me to do." The legal ambiguity surrounding his financial obligations has left victims and observers alike questioning whether justice has truly been served.
Despite the controversy, Santos expressed gratitude to Trump, calling it "such an amazing will for second chances." He also revealed a newfound focus: prison reform. "America today has 250,000 federal inmates, approximately, and I think it would be much nicer to look at reducing that number. And if I can be a part of helping that, I would, I think that would be a great road to follow in the future," he told ABC News. He emphasized that he hoped to approach the issue in a "real human way," not a partisan one, and even advocated for clemency for Samuel Miele, a former campaign staffer also incarcerated at Fairton, whom Santos described as a victim of "arbitrary sentencing."
As for a return to politics, Santos was circumspect. "I'm 37 years old. I can tell you this, not that I can see in the next decade," he said. "I am all politicked out." For now, he appears content to remain in the spotlight as a cautionary tale, a symbol of political excess, and—at least in his own telling—a man seeking redemption.
Whether George Santos’ second act will be one of genuine reform or continued controversy remains to be seen. But for now, his story is a reminder of the unpredictable intersections of politics, justice, and personal ambition in America’s public life.
