US President Donald Trump announced the commutation of former New York Congressman George Santos’ prison sentence on Friday, ordering his immediate release.

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump argued that Santos had been “horribly mistreated” in prison and that his sentence was excessive. He also referenced Santos’ history of supporting the Republican Party, stating, “Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

Santos had been serving an 87-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to 23 criminal counts earlier this year. The sentence stemmed from his use of campaign funds for personal expenses, identity theft of donors, fraudulent collection of unemployment benefits, and other financial misconduct.

Santos’ sentence was commuted only about three months into his confinement at FCI Fairton in New Jersey, which triggered responses from both sides of the aisle.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson defended the decision as an exercise of constitutional clemency power, but opposition lawmakers decried what they viewed as favoritism tied to Santos’ loyalty to the Republican Party.

On Sunday, the newly freed Santos stated: “Pardon me if I’m not paying too much attention to the pearl-clutching of the outrage of my critics and of the people predominantly on the left who are going to go out there and try to make a big deal out of something like this … President Biden pardoned his son after he said he wouldn’t. I didn’t see outrage.”

While the commutation ends his prison term, it does not erase the conviction, $570,000 in restitution, or other legal consequences Santos faces.