2:07George Santos, who was ousted from the U.S. House of Representatives, exits following the pronouncement of his sentence related to criminal corruption accusations at the Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, on April 25, 2025.Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
The disgraced previous congressman, George Santos, expressed on Sunday that he wasn’t escaping accountability for his offenses after President Donald Trump lessened his punishment for cable fraud and severe identity theft.
"I realize individuals are trying to spin this as 'He's evading responsibility.' I am not avoiding it; I was the pioneer to be incarcerated in a federal establishment for a civil infraction… I prefer to not dwell on revisiting the past; instead, I aim to leverage this encounter, accomplish good, and advance towards what lies ahead. Remorse is a mild way to put it. I’ve been given a new beginning,” Santos stated.
As a stipulation within his agreement with prosecutors, Santos consented to allocate approximately $600,000 for restitution and asset forfeiture.
Upon being questioned on CNN's "State of the Union" regarding intentions to reimburse contributors, Santos conveyed that he would "endeavor to fulfill every obligation dictated by law."
George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, departs after sentencing in his criminal corruption charges at Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, on April 25, 2025.Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
According to the pardon document, a visual representation of which was shared on X by the U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, Trump authorized Santos an "immediate reduction of his complete sentence to time already served, without additional penalties, compensation, supervised release, or other requirements."
During an interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends Weekend," Santos remarked, "I presently maintain no pending legal entanglements. I possess no obligations for restitution, nor am I under probation.”
Santos, at age 37, had spent under three months of a seven-year incarceration in federal prison.
While communicating his decision regarding the lessened punishment across his social media channels, Trump stated that Santos encountered "unjustified maltreatment" and alluded to him as "something of a 'rebel,'" yet "Santos, at least, exhibited the Valiancy, Belief, and Astuteness to CONSISTENTLY SUPPORT REPUBLICANS!”
Santos entered a guilty plea in August of 2024, confessing to claims that relatives had provided funds to his electoral endeavor when, in reality, they had not. Santos admitted that he endeavored to satisfy the funding prerequisite to become eligible for monetary aid from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
He additionally acknowledged committing supplementary deceitful actions, encompassing unauthorized charges on benefactor credit cards and influencing contributors to remit capital through misrepresented assurances that the funds would serve towards television advertisements. Moreover, he confirmed embezzling state resources by seeking and acquiring unemployment compensations during the pandemic, despite lacking entitlement.
Santos asserted on Sunday that others, such as former President Joe Biden, had utilized their authority to pardon based on politically fueled motives, "Thus, please understand if I don't concern myself significantly with the pretentious indignation expressed by my detractors, and by individuals, mainly from the left, who will attempt to exaggerate the magnitude of an event such as this."
"Certain individuals will show affinity for me, while others will disapprove. Irrespective of who receives clemency subsequently, or the identity of the recipient," he mentioned. "I am quite assured that President Trump could have issued a pardon to Jesus Christ prior to his crucifixion and still encountered criticism. Such remains the inherent character of our nation."
Santos implied he was not eliminating future political endeavors, albeit not within the "forthcoming decade."
"I am 37 years in age. I assert, within the confines of the next decade, I envision no prospect," he conveyed. "I have exhausted all inclinations towards political engagement."
He asserted that the period of confinement inspired him to concentrate efforts on penitentiary reformation.
"In today’s America, we hold nearly 250,000 federal convicts, and my perspective suggests it would prove more advantageous to seek a reduction in this aggregate. And if I gain the opportunity to contribute in this endeavor, I perceive it as an estimable avenue to pursue prospectively," remarked Santos.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
