George Santos Says He Has Given Up On Seeking a Pardon From Trump And Will Go To Prison: 'I've Accepted My Fate'

"The so called "friends" I have that said they'd help legit should have just told me to go f--- myself, because that's what has essentially happened with their actions. I've accepted my fate and don't want to talk about it anymore," Santos concluded.

The former lawmaker had appeared on on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" earlier this month, tearfully asking Trump to consider a pardon, commutation, or clemency ahead of his scheduled surrender to federal custody on July 25.

Santos, 36, said he was "not an altar boy," but also "not a hardened criminal," and argued that his punishment was disproportionate for a first-time offender. "I'll take a commutation, clemency, whatever the president is willing to give me," Santos said, while adding he was "not entertaining a pardon."

Santos, elected in 2022 as the first openly gay Republican nonincumbent in Congress, quickly fell from grace after reports revealed he fabricated much of his personal and professional background. In May 2023, he was indicted on 23 counts of wire fraud, identity theft, and other offenses related to misusing donor funds and falsely reporting campaign finances.

Santos pleaded for mercy before learning his fate, telling the court that he was "humbled" and "chastised." He added that he was aware he had betrayed his constituents' trust. "I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead," he said.

The judge, however, wasn't convinced. "Where is your remorse? Where do I see it? said Judge Joanna Seybert. She added that Santos appeared to feel that "it's always someone else's fault."

When requesting Santos get 87 months in prison, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said the requested sentence reflects the serious nature of Santos's "unparalleled" crimes.

Prosecutors also argued that Santos had been "unrepentant and defiant" for years, dismissing the prosecution as a "witch hunt" and refusing to resign from Congress as his web of lies was debunked. They said his claims of remorse after pleading guilty "ring hollow" and suggested he has a "high likelihood of reoffending" given he has not forfeited any of his ill-gotten gains or repaid any of his victims. Santos was expelled from the House last August, being one of the few elected officials to face that fate.