From Washington Examiner: Former New York Republican representative George Santos expressed gratitude for President Donald Trump‘s commutation, noting that he would like to engage in prison reform initiatives.
On Friday, Trump commuted Santo’s prison sentence after the Republican lawmaker received a seven-year sentence for money laundering and wire fraud, among other charges. Santos served less than three months in prison.
Santos said that he told Trump that he would “love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way — in real human ways, in a way that we affect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives, and we have a better system with less incarcerated people.”
Speaking to CNN‘s Dana Bash on Sunday, Santos said, “I’m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally — I don’t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I’m humble or remorseful, but I can just do the best in my actions moving forward.”
“If I can be a part of helping that, I think that would be a great road to follow in the future,” he added.
Santos’ clemency grant, which was shared on social media by US Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, reveals that he is no longer obligated to pay any additional fines, restitution, probation, or other conditions.
Santos had been serving a seven-year term for fraud charges. New York Rep. Nick LaLota (R) was unhappy about Santos’ release. He said Santos “didn’t merely lie — he stole millions, defrauded an election, and his crimes (for which he pled guilty) warrant more than a three-month sentence.”
LaLota said Santos should “devote the rest of his life to demonstrating remorse and making restitution to those he wronged.”
Asked by Bash if he planned to pay his donors back, Santos vowed to do his “best to do whatever the law requires of me.”
“The investment was made to win a race. I won that race,” Santos said. “There was no fraud there.”
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