NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Jorge Santos, who was released from prison for extorting campaign donors, said he was humbled by his time in prison but unconcerned about critics “clutching his pearls” as President Donald Trump resented his clemency.
“I’m very confident that if President Trump pardoned Jesus Christ on the cross, he would be criticized,” Santos told CNN on Sunday.
Santos, who won the presidency after inventing the identity of a Wall Street dealmaker, pleaded guilty last year to fraud and identity theft and began serving a seven-year sentence in a New Jersey prison in July. But on Friday, Trump ordered his release after just 84 days in prison. Trump called Santos a “gangster” but said he did not deserve the harsh sentence and should be praised for voting Republican.
Santos told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he “learned a lot” in prison and got “a big, if not all, piece of the humble pie” while in prison.
He also apologized to his former constituents in New York’s congressional district, saying he was “in a fireball of chaos” when he committed the crime. Santos pleaded guilty last year to defrauding donors and stealing the identities of 11 people, including members of his own family.
But when asked about fellow Republicans’ displeasure with Trump for releasing him so quickly, Santos said the president’s other acts of clemency were worse, citing President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter for gun and tax crimes.
“Forgive me if I’m not paying too much attention to the anger of my critics,” Santos said.
As part of his plea, Santos agreed to pay restitution of $373,750 and forfeit $205,003. But Trump’s clemency order appears to exempt him from having to pay any further fines or restitution.
Santos said he was given a second chance and intended to “make amends,” but when asked if he planned to repay campaign donors he defrauded, he said he would only do so if necessary.
“If the law requires me to do it, I will do it. If not, then no,” Santos said.
Santos appealed directly to Trump in a letter published by South Shore Press on Oct. 13, saying he was loyal to the president’s agenda and the Republican Party. But he said Sunday he had no expectations and learned about his reduced sentence from inmates who saw the news on television.
Just weeks after Santos became the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, much of Santos’ life story was fabricated.
During his campaign, Santos said he was a successful business consultant with a large real estate portfolio. But he eventually admitted to embellishing his biography. He never graduated from Baruch College, where he claimed to be a standout player on the Manhattan College volleyball team. He never worked at Citigroup or Goldman Sachs. He has no property.
In fact, he was struggling financially and had several jobs, including one with a company accused of running a Ponzi scheme, and even faced deportation.
After becoming the sixth person to be expelled from Congress, Santos made hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling personalized videos to the public on Cameo. He returned to service on Sunday.
