President Trump was asked about the possibility of pardoning former Long Island Rep. George Santos, who recently began serving a seven-year prison sentence for fraud. Despite Santos’ claims that he had been seeking a pardon, Trump stated that he was not aware of the situation and mentioned that Santos had been a strong supporter of him.
Trump expressed surprise at the news of a potential pardon for Santos, stating that nobody had discussed it with him. He also commented on the length of Santos’ prison sentence, calling it a long time.
George Santos, 37, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud in August 2024 related to deceiving donors to fund his congressional campaign.
Prosecutors accused Santos of falsely claiming donations to qualify for a program, as well as exploiting elderly donors and making unauthorized credit card charges for personal expenses.
Trump mentioned that Santos’ actions were surprising given his previous role as a congressman and emphasized the importance of thorough vetting by the media and others.
In the aftermath of Santos’ scandal, it was revealed that he had fabricated various aspects of his background, leading to his expulsion from the House of Representatives.
Despite Santos’ attempts to seek clemency, Trump did not confirm whether he would consider pardoning him or other individuals like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Ghislaine Maxwell.
