In a surprising turn of events, President Trump announced on Friday that he has commuted the sentence of former Representative George Santos, who had been serving time in prison. Santos, a Republican from New York, had been incarcerated for several months before receiving this presidential intervention.

President Trump took to Truth Social to express his reasoning behind the decision, stating, “George has endured extensive periods of solitary confinement and there have been numerous reports of his severe mistreatment.” The president continued, “Therefore, I have signed a commutation, allowing George Santos to be released from prison immediately. Good luck, George, and may you have a wonderful life ahead!”

The former lawmaker had originally faced a 7-year sentence following his guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. His legal troubles began after it emerged that he had fabricated substantial portions of his resume, along with inaccuracies in his campaign finance reports, ultimately leading to his expulsion from Congress.