On Friday night, October 17, 2025, former Congressman George Santos walked free from prison after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence, sparking outrage from victims, constituents, and critics who see the move as an alarming abuse of executive power. Santos, who had served only 84 days of his seven-year sentence—just about 3 percent of the term—was released with all restitution and probation obligations wiped away, according to the official commutation order signed by Trump and confirmed by the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.
Santos’s legal troubles began last year when he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charges stemmed from a series of schemes in which he siphoned thousands of dollars from campaign donors, misused donor credit cards, and filed false reports with the Federal Election Commission. According to Nexstar Media, Santos had been ordered to pay more than $370,000 in restitution and serve two years of supervised release as part of his plea deal. But Trump’s commutation not only freed Santos from prison but also absolved him of all financial and legal obligations related to his conviction. The official document stated that Santos was granted “an immediate commutation of his entire sentence to time served with no further fines, restitution, probation, supervised release, or other conditions.”
The decision to commute Santos’s sentence was met with disbelief and anger from many in New York’s 3rd congressional district, which Santos represented before being expelled from Congress in 2023. His expulsion came after revelations that he had fabricated much of his biography, including claims of fake college degrees, nonexistent Wall Street jobs, and a mother who supposedly died on 9/11. A House Ethics report found “grave and pervasive campaign finance violations and fraudulent activity,” making Santos only the sixth member in history to be expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, as reported by CBS News New York.
Victims and donors whose funds were misappropriated by Santos voiced their frustration at the sudden end of his punishment. Glen Cove resident Paula Frome told CBS News New York, “Three months in jail is not enough, and having his restitution canceled is a disgrace. They are the ones who deserve to be restored, not him. It’s just wrong.” Disabled veteran Richard Osthoff, who claimed Santos stole $3,000 from a fundraiser meant to save his dying service dog, expressed disbelief: “The people that he harmed, they deserve some money back. I don’t see how that can be wiped off of his sentence.”
In interviews following his release, Santos struck a defiant tone. On CNN’s “State of the Union,” he said, “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,” when pressed about whether he would pay restitution to his victims. On Fox & Friends Weekend, he went further, calling the restitution requirement “really insane” and insisting, “I do not have any pendencies with the law anymore. I have no restitution. I have no probation.” According to sources familiar with the case, Santos has repaid none of the money so far.
Trump, for his part, justified the commutation by citing Santos’s loyalty. “He was somewhat of a rogue,” Trump said, before praising Santos’s “courage, conviction, and intelligence to always vote Republican.” Earlier, Trump remarked that he was considering clemency because Santos “lied like hell, but he was 100 percent for Trump.” In a statement on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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!”
The commutation has raised broader questions about the use of presidential clemency powers, especially for political allies. Jodi Kass Finkel of Nassau Residents for Good Government told CBS News New York, “That is an attack on the rule of law. It’s an attack on the foundation of our country, and that’s where the real victim is.” Osthoff, the disabled veteran, echoed this sentiment, saying, “The pardon power that he has, I never seen someone wield something so dangerously. He started with the January 6ers and now this guy. All you have to do is wear a red hat and you get out of jail now. It sends a horrible, horrible signal.”
Yet, there may be another chapter ahead for Santos. In 2019, New York lawmakers passed a law closing the so-called “Manafort loophole,” which previously barred state prosecutions for the same acts after a federal pardon. The new law allows state prosecution even after a presidential pardon or commutation. Many of Santos’s actions—lying to donors, diverting campaign funds, falsifying records—are also crimes under New York law, including scheming to defraud, grand larceny, and identity theft. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, who had opened an inquiry into Santos in early 2023 before federal prosecutors took over, may now reopen the investigation. Legal experts point out that the state law was specifically designed to prevent political allies of a president from escaping justice through federal clemency, and the Supreme Court’s “separate sovereigns” doctrine supports the state’s right to prosecute.
Despite the legal and ethical storm, Santos has expressed a desire to move forward. On social media, he wrote, “As I step into this next chapter of my life, I do so with lessons learned and eyes open. I do not carry shame, I carry purpose. My goal now is to turn my past into something meaningful, to help create a justice system that truly believes in rehabilitation and second chances.” He has indicated plans to focus on “prison reform and accountability” in the future, though many remain skeptical of his intentions.
Cathy Soref, a Locust Valley resident who once helped raise money for Santos, told CBS News New York she hoped he would pay victims back as part of his recovery. “It would be ethical for him to do so, to feel that he should,” she said. Osthoff, however, isn’t counting on Santos’s voluntary restitution and is planning to sue, as Santos has already rebooted his Cameo page to profit from his notoriety.
For many in New York and beyond, Trump’s commutation of Santos’s sentence is seen not just as a personal favor to a disgraced ally, but as a declaration that the justice system can be bent for those who show loyalty to the president. With state prosecutors now weighing their next move, the story of George Santos—a tale that began as farce—may yet have another reckoning in store.
