George Santos, the Republican who won a congressional seat by fabricating details of his life story, then went to prison for fraud, was given clemency by President Donald Trump on Friday.
“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump wrote on social media. “Good luck George, have a great life!” Trump concluded.
Here is a timeline of Santos’ extraordinary rise and fall.
Nov. 8, 2022: Santos defeats Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the first known congressional election featuring two openly gay candidates. The district includes a tiny part of New York City and a swath of suburbs on Long Island.
Dec. 19, 2022: The New York Times publishes a story questioning whether Santos fictionalized his resume.
Dec. 26, 2022: Santos admits fabricating some details of his biography, including that he had a degree from Baruch College and had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Despite calling himself “a proud American Jew” in a position paper, he insists he “never claimed to be Jewish” but rather “Jew-ish.”
Dec. 28, 2022: Nassau County prosecutors say they have launched an investigation into Santos.
January 2023: Santos is sworn into office. Questions surface about how he financed his campaign after filings offer contradictory accounts.
Jan. 31, 2023: Santos steps down from his congressional committees but says he won’t resign.
February 2023: Revelations surface that Santos had been charged with stealing puppies in Pennsylvania in 2017 by using bad checks. The case was dismissed after Santos said the checks came from a checkbook that had been 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, collected unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve and lied to Congress about his wealth.
Oct. 10, 2023: A new indictment accuses Santos of stealing donors’ IDs and making unauthorized charges to their credit cards. Santos pleads not guilty to the revised charges later that month.
Nov. 16, 2023: The House Ethics Committee says in a scathing report on Santos that it amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking, concluding flatly that he “cannot be trusted.”
Dec. 1, 2023: Santos is expelled by the House on a vote of 311-114, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required.
December 2023: Not long after being expelled from the House, Santos is found to be offering the public personalized video messages for up to $200 on Cameo.
February 2024: Santos sues late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, alleging Kimmel deceived him into making Cameo videos that were used to ridicule Santos on the show.
April 23, 2024: Santos drops his longshot independent bid to return to Congress, a month after announcing his candidacy. His campaign committee reported raising no money in March 2024.
Aug. 19, 2024: Weeks before the case was to go to trial, Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, blaming his ambition for clouding his judgment and saying he was “flooded with deep regret.” The same day, a judge dismisses Santos’ lawsuit against Kimmel, saying the host’s use of the Cameo videos for criticism and commentary was a fair use.
April 25, 2025: Santos is sentenced in federal court to more than seven years in prison.
July 25, 2025: Santos reports to the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey.
Oct. 17, 2025: President Donald Trump commutes Santos’ sentence.
