{"id":80831,"date":"2025-10-18T10:04:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T07:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/?p=80831"},"modified":"2025-10-18T10:04:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T07:04:41","slug":"trump-george-santos-in-federal-fraud-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/trump-george-santos-in-federal-fraud-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump grants clemency to ex-Congressman George Santos in federal fraud case"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump<\/a> announced on Truth Social that he had \u201cjust signed a commutation, releasing George Santos from prison IMMEDIATELY,\u201d wishing the former lawmaker \u201cgood luck and a great life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santos\u2019s attorney Joseph Murray confirmed that his client had left Fairton Federal Correctional Institution and was \u201con his way home.\u201d<\/p>\n

A fall from politics to prison<\/strong><\/h2>\n

George Santos\u2019s brief but notorious political career unraveled after he admitted to a sweeping fraud scheme that included deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people \u2014 among them members of his own family \u2014 to funnel money into his congressional campaign.<\/p>\n

He pleaded guilty last year to wire-fraud and aggravated-identity-theft charges and, in April 2025, received an 87-month federal sentence that ultimately cost him his seat in Congress.<\/p>\n

Pressure from Republican allies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Trump\u2019s decision came after weeks of lobbying from his staunch Republican allies, notably Marjorie Taylor Greene, who denounced Santos\u2019s conviction as \u201ca grave injustice\u201d and appealed directly to the Justice Department for clemency.<\/p>\n

Greene hailed the president\u2019s action, calling Santos\u2019s solitary confinement \u201ctorture\u201d and insisting that he had been \u201cunfairly treated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018He lied, but he was for Trump\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Asked earlier this year whether he would consider clemency, Trump told Newsmax, \u201cHe lied like hell \u2026 but he was 100 percent for Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his latest post, Trump compared Santos\u2019s offenses to Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal\u2019s misstatements about serving in Vietnam, claiming that what Blumenthal did \u201cwas far worse \u2014 at least Santos had the courage and conviction to always vote Republican.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victims react with anger<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of Santos\u2019s victims, disabled Navy veteran Richard Osthoff, condemned the president\u2019s move, telling the Daily Mail it felt like \u201ca punch in the gut.\u201d<\/p>\n

Osthoff accused Santos of pocketing donations raised for his dying service dog and said, \u201cThe president essentially spat on a veteran yet again. Santos should never have been considered for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Political fallout over loyalty-driven clemency<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The commutation reignited debate over Trump\u2019s pattern of granting clemency to political loyalists.<\/p>\n

According to White House insiders, the president was swayed by a letter Santos wrote from prison appealing for \u201ca second chance to rebuild.\u201d<\/p>\n

Critics, however, argue the move rewards corruption and undermines accountability.
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