Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling on President Trump to commute the sentence of George Santos, the former New York congressman now serving a seven-year sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Greene, a vocal Trump ally, posted a letter to the Justice Department on X that argued that Santos' punishment is excessive and touted his remorse and past commitment to his constituents, per Axios. She also claimed, without elaboration, that other lawmakers have committed more serious offenses but escaped prosecution.
Santos' legal troubles stem from a series of fabrications about his background, uncovered soon after the 2022 election, that included false claims about his education, career, and finances. The House Ethics Committee later accused him of orchestrating a "complex web of unlawful activity" tied to his campaign and finances, leading to his expulsion from Congress in 2023. In April, he was sentenced after pleading guilty to charges involving fabricated campaign finance records designed to secure backing from national Republicans.
Trump, asked recently about Santos, told Newsmax he "didn't know him" and that Santos had "lied like hell," but he also noted that Santos was "100% for Trump" and a reliable vote. That kind of loyalty has factored heavily in Trump's past clemency decisions. Greene has remained one of Santos' few defenders in Congress. The New York Times notes that Greene isn't technically asking for a full pardon for Santos, but for Trump to commute his sentence.
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Santos, meanwhile, has already had two columns published in a Long Island newspaper since he was incarcerated 11 days ago. "I haven't given up," Santos wrote in one column. "I won't. Because this moment in my life, as bitter and brutal as it is, will not define the whole story. It's only a chapter. And like any good book, the best chapters are still unwritten."
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