George Santos – Photo; U.S. House of Representatives; Exit Sign – Photo: Tareq Ismail, via Unsplash.
President Donald Trump has commuted the 87-month prison sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), the openly gay congressman who pleaded guilty in August 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
By commuting his sentence, Trump allows the 37-year-old former congressman to walk free and resume his life. Before his imprisonment, Santos had been earning money on Cameo, charging up to $350 for personalized video messages — from birthday greetings to shout-outs for special occasions.
Elected in 2022 amid a Republican “wave” in New York, the one-term congressman admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people — including relatives — to fund his campaign.
Santos accepted the plea deal after being indicted on nearly two dozen charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, identity theft, and theft of public funds. He also admitted to fraudulently claiming more than $24,000 in COVID unemployment benefits intended for out-of-work Americans.
As part of the deal, Santos was sentenced to just over seven years in prison, ordered to pay $374,000 in restitution, and to forfeit more than $205,000 earned through fraud.
A senior White House official told NBC that Trump’s decision followed appeals from friends and allies seeking clemency for the disgraced lawmaker. The official added that Trump had read Santos’ prison writings describing his harsh living conditions.
Despite previously vowing not to seek a pardon from Trump, Santos wrote a fawning letter published in The South Shore Press, portraying himself as a loyal Republican foot soldier and directly pleading for clemency.
Casting himself as a martyr “enduring punishment far beyond what justice requires,” Santos pleaded with the president.
“Sir, I appeal to your sense of justice and humanity — the same qualities that have inspired millions of Americans to believe in you. I humbly ask that you consider the unusual pain and hardship of this environment and allow me the opportunity to return to my family, my friends, and my community. I want nothing more than to begin again — to contribute, to serve, and to rebuild my life from the ashes of my past,” Santos wrote.
“You have always been a man of second chances, a leader who believes in redemption and renewal,” he continued. “I am asking you now, from the depths of my heart, to extend that same belief to me.”
Announcing the commutation on Truth Social, Trump took aim at U.S. Sen. Dick Blumenthal (D-Conn.), likening Blumenthal’s misrepresentation of his military service to Santos’ fabrications about his background, family, and fundraising, calling the senator’s actions “far worse.”
“[A]t least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN! George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time, and by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump wrote, echoing claims by far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who had called for clemency and questioned Santos’ treatment in federal prison.
“Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison IMMEDIATELY,” Trump concluded. “Good luck, George, have a great life!”
Justice Department had demanded Boston Children's Hospital hand over patients' and employees' personal information under the guise of combating medical "fraud."
A federal judge has quashed a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice demanding that Boston Children’s Hospital turn over private medical information on youth receiving gender-affirming care, blasting the request as a “fishing expedition” aimed at prosecuting doctors under the guise of investigating health care fraud.
In his ruling, Judge Myong Joun, a Biden appointee, said the Justice Department sought an “astonishingly broad array of documents and information that are virtually unlimited in scope,” including patients’ Social Security numbers, home addresses, and personal details, as well as the complete personnel files of all 2,000 Boston Children’s Hospital employees, regardless of whether they had any involvement in providing gender-affirming care to minors.
Gun rights groups are blasting the Trump administration after CNN reported that senior Justice Department officials have been discussing the possibility of restricting transgender U.S. citizens from owning firearms, following the recent mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis. Although officials described the talks as "preliminary," critics warn that even floating such a proposal scapegoats transgender people and threatens their constitutional rights.
The internal talks appeared to draw on a theory promoted by conservative influencers and media outlets: that transgender people are mentally ill, and that transition-related hormones negatively affect mental health, making them more prone to violence.
Jack Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and the Republican nominee for New Jersey governor, recently aired a digital ad attacking Democratic opponent U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill for backing the state’s LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum standards. Established under a 2019 law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy (D), the standards require middle and high school students to learn about the political, economic, and social contributions of LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.
The premise behind the law is based on the belief that teaching students about figures like Bayard Rustin, Harvey Milk, and Alan Turing helps reduce bullying of LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming peers.
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