Former Representative George Santos said Monday that serving time in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft has left him “eternally grateful” and strengthened his religious faith.
Speaking to reporters outside a halfway house in Queens, Santos described his incarceration as a period of reflection that brought him closer to God. The disgraced former congressman served eight months of a two-year sentence before being released to supervised custody last week.
“I am eternally grateful for this experience, as difficult as it was,” Santos said. “It gave me the opportunity to find my faith again and understand what really matters in life.”
Santos was convicted in 2024 on charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft related to campaign finance violations during his brief tenure representing New York’s 3rd Congressional District. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 following multiple ethics investigations.
The former lawmaker said he plans to focus on community service and has no immediate plans to return to politics. Federal prosecutors had sought a longer sentence, citing what they called Santos’s “pattern of deception” during his political career.
