Overview
- Santos left federal custody after serving 84 days of an 87-month sentence when President Trump commuted his term.
- The clemency order made public removed roughly $370,000 in court-ordered restitution and other financial penalties.
- Santos said in interviews he is looking into a legal mechanism to repay victims voluntarily despite no obligation to do so.
- Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said her office remains focused on prosecuting political corruption, not ruling out state-level action.
- The case has renewed scrutiny of Trump-era clemency practices, with analysts noting departures from DOJ norms and relief from financial penalties in select cases.