Marjorie Taylor Greene asks Trump to commute George Santos' prison sentence
Santos was sentenced to 87 months in prison for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in April. He checked into New Jersey's Federal Correctional Fairton, located about 140 miles from Manhattan, on July 25.
In her petition to the Office of the U.S. Pardon Attorney, Greene asks for Trump to consider setting the former representative from Queens free sooner than later.
'As a Member of Congress, I worked with Mr. Santos on many issues and can attest to his willingness and dedication to serve the people of New York who elected him to office,' Greene wrote.
She conceded that Santos should be punished for his crimes, but believes his 7-year sentence is too severe.
'While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I've serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges,' she claimed without offering examples.
After lying about nearly all of his academic and professional qualifications to get elected to Congress in 2022, Santos was charged with crimes including a scheme to steal financial information from campaign contributors, then repeatedly charging those accounts without permission. He was expelled from the House of Representatives in December 2023.
Greene wrote in her letter that commuting Santos' sentence would be an acknowledgement by the President that Santos had committed crimes, while also allowing him the opportunity to serve his community as a free man. Greene didn't specify when she believes Santos should be released.
She concluded her request by using a term often used by the President in social media posts.
'Thank you for your attention to this matter,' Greene wrote.
Santos complained in the days leading to his imprisonment that his pardon requests were not getting the President's attention.
Trump has used his clemency power to excuse more than 1,500 criminals convicted on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and has not ruled out pardoning high-profile sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, but he hasn't showed an interest in working with Santos.
Santos surrendered to prison authorities after bidding a dramatic adieu to supporters.
'Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,' he wrote on X before going to prison.
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