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President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of former congressman George Santos.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Earlier this year, George Santos began serving his 87-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple federal charges, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos admitted to orchestrating a scheme in which he stole the identities of at least 11 individuals (including friends, donors, and even members of his own family) to fraudulently route contributions to his political campaign. He used fake email addresses and payment platforms to make it appear that real people were donating to his campaign, thereby inflating his fundraising numbers and gaining political credibility. Prosecutors also revealed that Santos misled donors about how their money would be used, diverting thousands of dollars to fund his personal expenses, including luxury items and cosmetic procedures.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, President Trump commuted the sentence of former Congressman George Santos, ordering his immediate release from federal prison just months into his seven-year term for wire fraud and identity theft. Announcing the decision on Truth Social, Trump defended the move by citing Santos’s alleged mistreatment behind bars and framing the punishment as excessive. “George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump wrote. “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!” He went on to praise Santos for his political loyalty, adding, “At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

Santos responded, posting on social media that he had spoken personally with Trump, saying, “Yesterday, I was given something I never thought I’d have again: a true second chance at life,” he wrote on X. He credited both his faith and Trump’s intervention, stating, “President Trump reminded me that in this country we love so much, no mistake, no hardship, and no fall from grace can take away the possibility of renewal.” He also vowed to dedicate himself to prison reform, inspired by what he called Trump’s “historic peace deal” in the Middle East, and accused officials at FCI Fairton of degrading treatment, saying, “No one should ever be dehumanized or degraded like I was.”

The commutation followed intense lobbying from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Greene recently called Santos’s conviction a “grave injustice” and declared on X, “THANK YOU President Trump for releasing George Santos!!” The decision has drawn sharp criticism across party lines. Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeled Santos a “serial fraudster.” Robert Zimmerman, the Democrat Santos defeated in 2022, called the commutation “lawless,” he added, “I have no doubt that Santos will ultimately end up in Trump’s cabinet.”