George Santos says he won't pay restitution to his victims, unless it's required 'by the law'
George Santos leaves federal court in Central Islip on Oct. 27, 2023. Credit: Howard Schnapp
WASHINGTON — Former Long Island Rep. George Santos, in a pair of nationally televised interviews Sunday, said he would not pay restitution to his victims because President Donald Trump's commutation of his 7-year federal prison sentence does not require him to do so.
Santos, appearing on CNN’s "State of the Union," was asked by host Dana Bash whether he would pay the $375,000 in court-ordered restitution to his former campaign donors that was part of his April sentencing.
Santos, previously indicted on a range of fraud and identity theft charges stemming from his 2022 congressional campaign, replied: "If it’s required of me by the law, yes; if it's not, then no. I will do whatever the law requires me to do."
Repayment is not required: The commutation order signed by Trump on Friday absolves Santos of having to pay the money back, according to a copy of the order posted by Department of Justice official Ed Martin.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- Former Long Island Rep. George Santos said Sunday he is not going to pay restitution to his victims after President Donald Trump commuted his 7-year federal prison sentence.
- Repayment is not required, and on CNN, Santos said of restitution: "If it’s required of me by the law, yes; if it's not, then no. I will do whatever the law requires me to do."
- Appearing on "Fox & Friends," Santos described the order to pay restitution to campaign donors, including the National Republican Congressional Committee, as "really insane."
The order declares Santos has been provided with an "immediate commutation of his entire sentence to time served with no further fines, restitution, probation, supervised release or other conditions."
Appearing on "Fox & Friends," Santos described the order to pay restitution to campaign donors, including the National Republican Congressional Committee, as "really insane."
Santos was released from prison on Friday.
The former congressman, now 37, drew national attention in 2022 when he flipped New York’s 3rd Congressional District amid a red wave throughout the state. Weeks after his victory, he faced a crush of calls for his removal from office after a New York Times report revealed he frequently lied about his credentials and background.
He was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2023, in a bipartisan vote that included Long Island’s congressional Republicans, who had long called for his ouster. In April, he was sentenced to 87 months in prison following his conviction on a series of fraud charges.
On Sunday, Santos apologized to his former colleagues in the House and to the New York GOP party leaders who helped boost his candidacy.
"I understand I was in a chaotic ball of flame two years ago," Santos said on CNN. "I was my own worst enemy, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry to the American people. I'm sorry to the people of the Third Congressional District of New York. I'm sorry to the leadership of the Republican Party who invested their time in me, my chairman in Nassau County, my former chairman in Suffolk County, my chairman in Queens County, my chairman in New York State, along with the voters. I'm sorry. And to my colleagues who I forced your hands, quite literally in my own doing, I'm sorry to put you through that."
Asked about Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) criticizing the commutation, Santos said "they have the right" to their opinion.
Asked if he had any future plans to run for public office, Santos told "Fox and Friends": "I'm not ruling it out ... I'm 37 years old, so I have time. I'm not saying that I want to go to Congress. I don't necessarily think that that's the best government."
Santos said his 84-day stint in federal prison — at FCI Fairton in New Jersey — was a very "sobering" experience, and he told Trump in a personal phone call after his release that he would like to work with his administration on prison reform.
"I told this to the president, that I'd love to be involved with prison reform and not in a partisan way, in a real human way, in a way that we affect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives, and we have a better system with less incarcerated people," Santos said on CNN.
He dismissed criticisms Trump has received for the commutation.
"I'm pretty confident if President Donald Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics," Santos said.
Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.
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