George Santos, a Republican who won a seat in Congress by fabricating details of his biography and then went to prison for fraud, received a pardon from President Donald Trump on Friday.
“George Santos was something of a 'scoundrel', but there are many scoundrels throughout our country who are not forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump wrote on social media. “Good luck, George, have a happy life!” Trump concluded.
Here's a timeline of Santos' extraordinary rise and fall.
November 8, 2022: Santos defeats Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the first known congressional election with two openly gay candidates. The area includes a tiny part of New York City and a number of Long Island suburbs.
December 19, 2022: New York Times publishes an article questioning whether Santos made up his resume.
December 26, 2022: Santos admits that he fabricated some details of his biography, including that he graduated from Baruch College and worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Despite calling himself a “proud American Jew” in a position paper, he insists he “never claimed to be a Jew” but rather “a Jew.”
Dec. 28, 2022: Nassau County prosecutors say they have opened an investigation into Santos.
January 2023: Santos is sworn in. Questions arise about how he financed his campaign after documents contain conflicting information.
January 31, 2023: Santos resigns from his congressional committees but says he will not resign.
February 2023: It is learned that Santos was charged with stealing puppies in Pennsylvania in 2017 using bad checks. The case was dismissed after Santos said the checks were taken from a checkbook that was stolen from him.
March 2, 2023: The House Ethics Committee announces an investigation into Santos.
May 10, 2023: Santos is indicted and pleads not guilty to federal charges that he stole from donors and his campaign, received unemployment benefits he didn't deserve, and lied to Congress about his wealth.
October 10, 2023: A new indictment accuses Santos of stealing donors' IDs and making unauthorized withdrawals from their credit cards. Santos will plead not guilty to the revised charges later that month.
November 16, 2023: The House Ethics Committee says in a scathing report on Santos that he has amassed “overwhelming evidence” of breaking the law and categorically concludes that he “cannot be trusted.”
December 1, 2023: Santos is expelled by the House of Representatives by a vote of 311 to 114, easily achieving the required two-thirds majority.
December 2023: Shortly after being expelled from the House of Representatives, it was revealed that Santos was offering up to $200 worth of personalized video messages to the public on Cameo.
February 2024: Santos sues late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, claiming Kimmel tricked him into making cameo videos that were used to lampoon Santos on the show.
April 23, 2024: Santos abandons his ambitious independent bid to return to Congress, a month after announcing his candidacy. His campaign committee reported that no money had been raised in March 2024.
Aug. 19, 2024: Weeks before the case goes to trial, Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, blaming his ambition for clouding his judgment and saying he is “filled with deep regret.” That same day, a judge dismisses Santos' lawsuit against Kimmel, saying the host's use of the “Cameo” video for criticism and commentary was fair use.
April 25, 2025: Santos is sentenced in federal court to more than seven years in prison.
July 25, 2025: Santos reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey.
October 17, 2025: President Donald Trump commutes Santos' sentence.
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