Disgraced ex-Rep. George Santos wants Trump pardon, claims he was politically targeted over being a gay Republican in Dem district
Serial liar George Santos will ask President Trump for a pardon, his attorney said Tuesday — days after the disgraced former congressman bawled in federal court as he was sentenced to seven years behind bars.Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft ahead of his Friday sentencing, but his attorney blamed politics for the charges and prison time because the truth-challenged Long Islander was a “gay Republican” in a Democratic-leaning congressional district.“Next to President Donald Trump, George Santos is the most hated man in the world,” Santos’ attorney Joseph Murray told Newsday.
“I’m confident that if I share what took place with President Donald Trump, or the White House, that they will agree with me, that this was very political.“We are definitely going to apply for a pardon or clemency,” he added.“I believe both the prosecution and the sentencing was because a gay Republican [Santos] won a congressional seat in a Biden plus-10 district.
Everything else was window dressing.I really do believe that.”The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Santos was in Congress for just 11 months before he was given the boot over a damning House Ethics Committee report that found “substantial evidence” he broke federal laws.But Murray claimed Santos was first targeted by what he said was a partisan Justice Department under then-President Joe Biden.“It’s so obvious it’s political,” he told Newsday.
“I was shocked, I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve gotten from people — Republican and Democrat — who said this is so political, there’s no way anyone would have gotten this time if they weren’t George Santos.’“I don’t think he should have done a day in jail, I really don’t.I think we are archaic the way we put people in cages for these financial crimes,” he added.Santos was indicted in May 2023 and eventually hit with 23 charges tied to five separate schemes before agreeing to...