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A lawmaker with close ties to President Donald Trump has called on his administration to commute the prison sentence of former Congressman George Santos.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, George Santos is a former Republican congressman from New York who gained national attention for a string of lies and financial crimes that ultimately led to his downfall. Elected in 2022, Santos was later exposed for fabricating major aspects of his personal and professional background, including false claims about his education at prestigious universities, employment at top financial firms, Jewish heritage, and even his mother’s death being linked to 9/11. In 2024, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after admitting to orchestrating multiple fraudulent schemes. These included stealing the identities of campaign donors, using their credit cards to make unauthorized purchases, submitting false campaign finance reports to inflate his support among GOP leadership, and illegally collecting over $24,000 in COVID-era unemployment benefits. Santos was charged with 23 felony counts and agreed to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution before being sentenced to 87 months in federal prison.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene sent a formal letter to the Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney urging President Donald Trump to commute the prison sentence of former Representative George Santos. In her letter, Greene argued that Santos’ 87-month sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft “extends far beyond what is warranted” for a first-time offender. Greene added, “George Santos has taken responsibility. He’s shown remorse. It’s time to correct this injustice.”  

She further claimed that while Santos’ actions deserved punishment, “many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses … yet have faced zero criminal charges.”

Her plea echoes statements made by Santos on X Spaces prior to his surrender date, where he called his 7-year sentence “unfair” due to him being a first-time offender. Santos also claimed that other lawmakers had committed similar crimes and got no time or investigation at all.

This all comes as President Trump has shown openness to the idea of granting clemency to George Santos, though he has made no formal commitment. In a recent interview with Newsmax, Trump remarked, “Nobody’s talked to me about it,” but acknowledged Santos’ support, saying, “He lied like hell … but he was 100% for Trump. … His vote was solid.”