US President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of George Santos, a former Republican congressman serving seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft, ordering his immediate release.


In a post on social media, Trump said Santos has been horribly mistreated, adding: Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!


The former lawmaker was only the sixth in US history to be expelled from Congress, after a damning ethics report in 2023.


Santos, who admitted to stealing the identities of 11 people - including family members, is currently serving his sentence at a minimum-security jail in New Jersey.


In April when Santos was sentenced a judge told him: You got elected with your words, most of which were lies.


He reportedly cried in court and begged for forgiveness, saying: I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.


Prosecutors argued that the novice politician had lied about his background and misused campaign funds to finance his lifestyle.


In his post, Trump justified the move by criticising a Democratic lawmaker, Senator Richard Blumenthal, whom he accused of fabricating his US military service.


This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN! Trump wrote.


Trump has previously called for an investigation into Blumenthal over the claim. The Democrat has acknowledged that he misspoke on numerous occasions about his time in the military, but has said the mishaps were more than a decade old.


A lawyer for Santos told the Associated Press that it remains unclear when his client would be released.


The defence team applauds President Trump for doing the right thing, said Andrew Mancilla.


The sentence was far too long. Santos's downfall began after the New York Times in 2022 published an investigation revealing the freshman congressman had lied about his CV, including having a university degree and working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.


From there, the lies continued to pile up, including allegations that he stole money from a fundraiser for a dying dog and that he lied about his mother surviving the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Shortly afterwards, local and federal officials began to investigate.


He was eventually charged with 23 federal felony crimes, and in 2023 he became the first expelled member of Congress in more than 20 years, and only the sixth in history.


A report from the House ethics panel accused him of misusing campaign funds for personal benefits, including Botox and subscriptions on the OnlyFans website.


Santos defeated a Democratic incumbent in 2022, flipping the district that encompasses parts of New York's Long Island and Queens, where he grew up.


Earlier this week, Santos published an open letter to Trump in the South Shore Press newspaper in Long Island, repeating his plea to be pardoned.


The letter, which was titled a passionate plea to President Trump asked for the opportunity to return to my family, my friends, and my community.


He wrote that he had been kept in solitary confinement after a death threat in August and apologized for his actions.


Trump has issued pardons to at least two other former Republican lawmakers since retaking office in January, including former congressman Michael Grimm and former Connecticut Governor John Rowland.