• President Trump commutes George Santos' seven-year sentence for fraud and identity theft.
• Santos was released immediately after the commutation.
• Trump criticized the harshness of Santos' sentence, calling it politically motivated.
• Santos was expelled from Congress in 2023 for fraudulent activities.
• The decision has sparked discussions on political clemency and judicial overreach.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he has commuted the prison sentence of former Congressman George Santos, who was serving more than seven years for fraud and identity theft. Santos, who was found guilty for deceiving donors and stealing identities for campaign funds, will be released immediately following the commutation according to a post made on Trump's social media platform, Truth Social. Trump described Santos as a "rogue" but suggested that many others do not face such severe penalties, adding, "Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY," according to Reuters, ABC News, and BBC.

In his social media remarks, Trump emphasized that Santos had been "horribly mistreated" during his prison term, particularly citing his time in solitary confinement, which Santos previously described in public letters appealing for clemency. His lawyer, Andrew Mancilla, noted satisfaction with the decision, calling it overdue as the sentence was "far too long," as reported by Los Angeles Times and HuffPost.

Santos became one of the first openly gay Republicans to serve in Congress but quickly faced backlash due to a series of fabrications regarding his personal history and campaign financing. In 2023, he was expelled from the House of Representatives due to a congressional ethics committee investigation that found evidence of deceit and misuse of campaign funds. Trump's clemency decision now adds to a growing list of presidential pardons and commutations directed towards former Republican lawmakers, stirring debates over judicial practices and their implications in the political arena, according to South China Morning Post and Bloomberg.