Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., began his 87-month prison sentence Friday afternoon, surrendering to the Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in New Jersey, according to The Hill.
Santos, 37, will serve more than seven years behind bars after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal last year.
The New York Republican, whose rapid rise to national prominence was accompanied by a dramatic fall from grace, faced 23 federal counts, including money laundering, theft of public funds, making materially false statements to the House of Representatives and Federal Election Commission (FEC) and falsifying submitted records to obstruct the FEC.
His story in Washington began with praise in 2022 when he won his House seat as the first openly gay nonincumbent Republican. The acclaim surrounding Santos turned first into notoriety, when it was revealed that much of his resume and biography were fabricated, and then disgrace when he was hit with two criminal indictments and expelled from the House. He was only the sixth lawmaker in the House's history to be ousted from the lower chamber.
The former federal lawmaker took to social platform X on Thursday to announce his impending departure to supporters and critics alike.
"Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed," Santos wrote. "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."
"To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it," he added. "To my critics: Thanks for the free press.I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit."
In the run-up to his prison report date, Santos signaled that he would be interested in a pardon from President Donald Trump, filing the requisite paperwork and telling Piers Morgan in May that he would take "a commutation, clemency, whatever the president is willing to give me."
"Seven years and three months in prison for a first-time offender over campaign matters just screams 'over the top,' and I would appreciate if the president would consider," he said at the time.
The judge handling Santos' case reportedly requested that he serve his sentence at a facility "within the North-East region of the United States."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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