George Santos says prison sentence was ‘disproportionate’ but ‘large slice of humble pie’

Disgraced former US congressman George Santos said on Sunday that his prison sentence had been “disproportionate”, but that he had been served “a very large slice of humble pie”, while lashing out at his critics in his first interview since Donald Trump commuted his sentence.

Speaking to Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union, Santos said he was “all politicked out”, and called for his former campaign staffer, Sam Miele, to also receive a commutation.

“This isn’t about ... glitter, stars and glam or going back to Congress,” he said. “This is a very personal journey and road for me ahead.”

Trump announced on Friday that he had commuted the sentence for Santos, who was meant to serve more than seven years in federal prison in New Jersey after a whirlwind political career tainted by serial fabrications and fraudulent scheming.

“I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump said in a lengthy Truth Social post. “Good luck George, have a great life!”

Santos, who pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was less than three months into serving time before he was released. He said Trump’s decision to commute his sentence came as a surprise.

“I had no expectations, I wasn’t even aware until I learned it off of the chyron of mainstream media inside of the prison myself,” he said. “Other inmates saw it and called me over.”

Bash pressed Santos on whether he had received favorable treatment as a “loyal ally” of the president.

“There’s a lot of people who were upset with President Biden who pardoned his entire family before he left office in an unprecedented move,” Santos quipped back. “Pardon me if I’m not paying too much attention to the pearl-clutching of the outrage of my critics.”

Trump has issued several pardons and commutations during his second term so far, beginning with the “full, complete and unconditional” presidential pardons for about 1,500 people who were involved in the January 6 attack on Congress.

In February, he pardoned former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of corruption based crimes, including trying to sell a US Senate seat vacated by former President Barack Obama.

As part of his plea deal, Santos had agreed to pay nearly $375,000 in restitution and $205,000 in forfeiture. When asked on State of the Union if he was planning on paying back the restitution, he said if it is “required of me by the law”.

“I’ve been out of prison for two days. I agreed to come here to speak with you candidly and openly and not to obfuscate,” he said, visibly frustrated. “If it’s required of me by the law, yes. If it’s not, then no. I will do whatever the law requires me to do.”

In a separate appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend earlier on Sunday, Santos said he no longer had to pay restitution and thanked Trump, praising him for having “such an amazing will for second chances”.

Back on CNN, he went on to say he was confident that “if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics. That’s just the reality of our country.”