Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) will not be required to pay any additional fines or restitution related to his criminal conviction, according to his pardon orderWhich was made public on Monday.
Santos was released from jail on Friday after President Trump announced that he has signed The sentence of the former MLA, who arrived at the jail three months early to begin his 87-month sentence, was reduced.
The clemency order allows Santos “to immediately have his entire sentence reduced to time served without any fine, restitution, probation, supervised release or other conditions.”
Santos — who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal last summer — was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $370,000 in restitution.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, host Dana Bash pressed Santos on whether he would still have to pay the court-ordered restitution, and he indicated he did not know, but that he would do “whatever the law requires.”
“It’s about the fine, and it’s about paying the money back,” Bash said in the interview. “And whether you describe them as victims or just donors to the NRCC, what the court said is that they should get their money back. Would you try to do that?”
“Well, look, I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me, so, I don’t know what that is. I’ve been out of jail for two days. I agree to come here to talk frankly and frankly with you, not to engage,” Santos responded.
He said, “If it is required of me according to the law, then yes. If it is not so, then no. Whatever the law requires of me, I will do.”
Santos was originally sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Heexpelled from congressReports revealed that he fabricated much of his resume and lied on campaign finance reports.
“George has been in solitary confinement for a long time and, by all accounts, has been treated very poorly,” Trump wrote in a letter Friday.Statement on Satya Social,
“Therefore, I signed a commutation to release George Santos from prison immediately. Good luck George, have a great life!” Trump added.
Santos’ attorney Joe Murray said the former congressman was released around 11 p.m. Friday.
