Trump Commutes George Santos Prison Sentence for Fraud and Identity Theft

President Trump commuted the seven-year prison sentence of former GOP Rep. George Santos after he served only three months, despite Santos pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in a donor scam. The commutation followed lobbying from Trump allies including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Santos had defrauded donors, stolen credit card information, and lied about his background throughout his congressional campaign and tenure. The action demonstrates Trump’s use of clemency power to reward political loyalists regardless of criminal conviction, undermining accountability for corruption within his political coalition. The pardon came as Trump systematically used executive clemency to shield allies and supporters from consequences of financial crimes.