It was midsummer when former Rep. George Santos told his followers, which he dotingly referred to as darlings, that the spotlight had dimmed.
"From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried...most days," Santos wrote in a July 24 post on X. He was reporting to federal prison the next day to begin a seven-year prison sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
After President Donald Trump commuted Santos' sentence Oct. 17, he offered well wishes from The White House: "Good luck George, have a great life!" When reached by phone Oct. 18, Santos told a USA TODAY reporter that "this is not a good time, sorry" and hung up.
The commutation has thrown Santos – whose next steps remain unclear – into an uncertain future as his biggest political ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, spars with fellow Republicans in Congress and takes occasional aim at Trump during his second term.
Trump commutes former Republican Rep. George Santos sentence for fraud
