# Representative George Santos: Indictment and Prosecution (Expelled from Congress on Dec 1, 2023) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 10, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850 "2023-05-10T14:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 43
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/841 "2025-10-17T16:07:05Z")
In addition to the things you mentioned, there’s also the lack of a “walk away” factor. A person pretending to be a cop conducting traffic stops has the option of stopping at any time, getting back in his car, and driving away if he starts to lose control of the situation. A person pretending to be a prison guard can’t do this. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/842 "2025-10-17T22:27:39Z")
And Trump releases him. Lovely. > **[Trump says he has commuted sentence of former Rep. George Santos | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/17/politics/george-santos-sentence-commuted)** > > President Donald Trump said on social media Friday that he is commuting the sentence of disgraced former Rep. George Santos, who had been serving a seven-year sentence for the fraud charges that got him ousted from Congress. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/843 "2025-10-17T22:36:34Z")
Watch him get a position in the Trump administration. Being convicted of a crime is a prerequisite for them. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/844 "2025-10-17T22:38:22Z")
I did not think he’d do that. Kindof happy for George. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/845 "2025-10-17T23:04:56Z")
Hooray! Trump thwarts justice yet again! ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/846 "2025-10-17T23:07:29Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > And Trump releases him. Lovely. > > [https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/17/politics/george-santos-sentence-commuted](https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/17/politics/george-santos-sentence-commuted) Of course he did. 🙄 And per the _New York Times_, Trump indicated that his primary motivation for doing this was because he was a Republican who was “100 percent for Trump.” > **[Trump Says He Is Commuting George Santos’s Fraud Sentence](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/us/politics/trump-george-santos-sentence-commute.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uE8.-bZU.xsWleCDPtxzo&smid=url-share)** > > The disgraced Republican had been sentenced to prison, after his credentials and career unraveled. He was the sixth member of the House to be expelled. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/847 "2025-10-17T23:09:18Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Kindof happy for George. Uh, why? You like folks that commit wire fraud and identity theft? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/848 "2025-10-17T23:10:23Z")
Another disgusting perversion of justice by the Felon In Chief. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/849 "2025-10-17T23:18:40Z")
Not really. 7 years was a bit much. And why was he in solitary? Just my feelings. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/850 "2025-10-17T23:24:18Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > This guy is a worthless idiot and the smallest of fries in the grand scheme of things, but boy is it nice for one of these assholes to face some fucking consequences for their actions, for once Welp… ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/851 "2025-10-17T23:30:11Z")
So he was locked up for roughly three months. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/852 "2025-10-17T23:30:55Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > 7 years was a bit much. For stealing the identities of a dozen people and absconding with hundreds of thousands of dollars? > [@SuntanLotion](#): > > …And why was he in solitary? If I had to guess, probably for breaking the rules. Actually, it was reportedly because he was in protective custody due to death threats, but that is according to Santos himself (a known liar), and repeated by Trump (ditto). ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/853 "2025-10-17T23:32:18Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Not really. 7 years was a bit much. And why was he in solitary? > Just my feelings. Carry on. American sentences are generally too long, By itself, the three months he served is enough to send the message. However, that’s not [the reason Trump is giving](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115391767709119144) at Truth Social: > [@](#): > > at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!. So he voted for the U.S. Republican Party when he was a drag queen in Brazil? Can anyone check that? ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/854 "2025-10-18T00:07:31Z")
P.S. to my last post. I was too snarky. Also, press reports say that Santos was, in Brazil, a supporter of Jair Bolsonaro, who Trump would almost certainly regard as politically adjacent to himself. I have no reason to think Sandos hasn’t voted for the Trumpy right whenever he could. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/855 "2025-10-18T00:13:41Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > American sentences are generally too long, I completely disagree, but I won’t hijack this. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/856 "2025-10-18T01:43:40Z")
Any chance there is a state crime he could be charged with without being tossed out by the courts? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/857 "2025-10-18T02:19:42Z")
In addition to serving less than 3 months of a 7 year sentence: > [Santos] will also no longer be required to pay more than $370,000 in court-ordered restitution to his victims, [according to a copy of the commutation posted online](https://x.com/EdMartinDOJ/status/1979311737943003393) by Ed Martin, the U.S. pardon attorney. So the victims of Santos’s crimes will apparently no longer be entitled to restitution. IANAL, but I assume that they could sue in civil court. But I’m guessing they won’t: Santos doesn’t have deep pockets and legal costs probably outweigh the benefits. Pretty cushy deal. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/858 "2025-10-18T02:27:13Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Any chance there is a state crime he could be charged with without being tossed out by the courts? Charging someone with a state crime, because of a federal pardon, sounds to me like [Give me the man and I will give you the case against him](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_me_the_man_and_I_will_give_you_the_case_against_him). Because of the terrible reason Trump gave for the commutation (perpetrator always votes Republican), this already makes DJT, and by extension MAGA, look bad to center-right voters (see [National Review takedown](https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/george-santos-finally-free-to-fly-like-butterflies/)). There is no benefit to society by stepping on that. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/859 "2025-10-18T03:04:02Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > Watch him get a position in the Trump administration. Being convicted of a crime is a prerequisite for them. Or maybe become a pundit on Faux News or one of the other right-wing propaganda networks. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/860 "2025-10-18T11:34:36Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > center-right voters Both of them? /hijack [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850.md?page=42) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850.md?page=44)