NEW YORK (AP) — A former U.S. congressman has been released from prison where he served time for defrauding campaign contributions. George Santos Though humbled by his prison experience, President Donald Trump says he’s not concerned about angry critics’ ‘pearl-clutching’ granted him a pardon.
“I’m pretty sure that if President Trump had pardoned the cross of Jesus Christ, there would have been some detractors,” Santos said in an interview with CNN on Sunday.
Santos became president by inventing a false persona as a Wall Street trader. pleaded guilty to fraud He was charged with identity theft last year and began serving a seven-year sentence in a New Jersey prison in July. But President Trump ordered his release Friday after serving just 84 days in prison. President Trump called Santos a “thug” but said he did not deserve a harsh sentence and should be given credit for voting Republican.
Santos told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he “learned a lot” in prison and gained “a very large, humble pie, if not the whole pie.”
He also apologized to former voters in his New York congressional district, saying they were “in a chaotic fireball” when he committed the crime. Mr. Santos admitted last year to defrauding donors and stealing the identities of 11 people, including his own family.
But when asked about Republicans’ dissatisfaction with Trump’s quick release, Santos said the president’s other pardons were worse and quoted the president as saying. Joe Biden decides to pardon his sonHunters, Guns and Tax Crime.
“So I’m sorry if you haven’t been paying too much attention to clutching your pearls at the wrath of your critics,” Santos said.
As part of his guilty plea, Santos agreed to pay $373,750 in restitution and $205,003 in forfeiture. However, President Trump’s clemency order appears to have spared him from paying any further fines or restitution.
Mr. Santos said he has been given a second chance and plans to “make amends,” but when asked if he intended to repay the campaign funds he defrauded, he said only if necessary.
“If it’s required by law, then yes. If not, no,” Santos said.
In a letter dated Oct. 13, Santos directly asked Trump for help, citing Trump’s policies and loyalty to the Republican Party. south shore press. But he said Sunday he had no expectations and learned about his commutation from other inmates who watched the news on television.
The revelation that Santos fabricated much of his life story emerged just weeks after he was elected to Congress in 2022 as the first openly gay Republican.
During his campaign, Santos described himself as a successful business consultant with a substantial real estate portfolio. However, he eventually admitted that he had doctored his biography. He never graduated from Baruch College and claimed to be a standout player on Manhattan College’s volleyball team. He had never worked at Citigroup or Goldman Sachs. He owned no property.
In fact, he was struggling financially, bouncing around several jobs, including one at a company accused of running a Ponzi scheme, and even faced eviction.
After becoming the sixth person to be expelled from Congress, Santos made hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling personalized Cameo videos to the public. He returned to worship on Sunday.
