President Donald Trump may have spared former Rep. George Santos of New York from federal prison, but Long Island prosecutors aren’t finished with him just yet.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, which covers part of the district Santos once represented, isn’t ruling out new state charges. Conservative District Attorney Anne Donnelly declined to say what her office might investigate, but her statement to ABC News made clear that the case remains on her radar.
Former Rep. George Santos arrives at federal court for his sentencing on April 25.
“Since first learning of George Santos’ actions, I have been at the forefront of bringing him to justice,” she said. “I am proud of the work my office has done, and the conviction achieved in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. While the office cannot comment on ongoing investigations, suffice it to say that I remain focused on prosecuting political corruption wherever it exists regardless of political affiliation.”
In other words, Santos isn’t necessarily in the clear.
He had been out of prison less than two days before returning to the public eye—relaunching his Cameo account, giving interviews, and testing the limits of Trump’s clemency. His seven-year sentence for fraud, deception, and lying to Congress was wiped out last week when Trump granted him a full commutation.
Trump hailed Santos on Truth Social for his “Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”
A clemency order posted to X by pardon attorney Ed Martin confirmed the full scope of the decision: an “immediate commutation” with no fines, restitution, or probation requirements, allowing Santos to walk free on Oct. 17.
And by Oct. 19, he was back on television.
When asked by CNN’s Dana Bash whether he would repay the $374,000 in restitution tied to his fraud conviction, Santos sidestepped the question.
Former Rep. George Santos sits in the House chamber in 2023.
“I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me,” he said. “So I don’t know what that is. I’ve been out of prison for two days. I agreed to come here to speak with you candidly and openly and not to obfuscate. If it’s required of me by the law, yes. If it’s not, then no.”
Before Trump intervened, Santos had already become a defining figure of the MAGA movement—known as much for his embellishments as for his ability to survive them. He rode Trump’s political wave into Congress in 2022, aligning himself with allies like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who defended him even as his fabrications mounted.
Now, some in the GOP are leaving the door open for his return. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News Monday that if Santos ran again and won, he would be welcomed back to Congress.
“That’s our system,” he said. “If the people duly elect a representative, then we will welcome them into the body.”
But back home, prosecutors appear less eager to move on. Donnelly’s comments suggest that Trump’s clemency may not mark the end of Santos’ legal challenges.
For now, at least, Santos is free—but how long that lasts may depend on what Nassau County does next.
