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Accused in Welland sex assault of girl wants move to women's prison
While the Facebook page says his 'birth name' is Daniel Senecal, the name under his picture says he is Dani Senecal
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Sep 10, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
204 Comments
Daniel Senecal, seen here, is in custody for an alleged sexual assault of a child in Welland.
Daniel Senecal, seen here, is in custody for an alleged sexual assault of a child in Welland. Photo by Submitted /Postmedia
The first clue that something could be up was noticed on Daniel Senecal’s Facebook page where under his photograph his pronouns are listed as “she/her.”
But he has been charged with sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an alleged Aug. 31 incident in Welland as a he/him.
Now, Canada’s leader of the country’s official Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, says the accused wants to be moved from a male correctional institution to one that houses females.
“Appalling,” wrote Poilievre on X. “Now, this vile male monster charged with violently sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl wants to be transferred to a women’s prison. “
Whether or not this application is made may come clearer Wednesday when the accused makes a court appearance in St. Catharines, where a protest is underway.
While the Facebook page says his “birth name” is Daniel Senecal, the name under his picture says he is Dani Senecal.
Daniel Senecal
A screenshot of Daniel Senecal Facebook page.
Former Toronto Police officer Ron Chhinzer, a federal Conservative candidate in the last election, also reposted a Toronto Crime Watch Facebook posting that said Senecal “is currently being held in segregation at the Niagara Detention Centre and has requested a transfer to the Vanier Centre for Women if he doesn’t get bail under the guise he is transgender. The Vanier Centre for Women is a female only correctional and remand facility.”
Time will tell how the day shakes out. This information that the accused identifies as female has been whispered since the arrest but has not been confirmed. It has yet to be released which lawyer is representing Senecal or what the plan of defence is. His hearing — in which he just spoke and was not on video — was put over Wednesday until Oct. 15 by video.
Like Poilievre, protesters were not waiting to find out. They plan to raise this concern at the courthouse in St. Cathartines as well as the overall outrage that Senecal is alleged to have sexually assaulted the child not long after receiving a lenient sentence of 18 months for a previous sexual assault on a 12-year-old boy.
As the Toronto Sun’s Bryan Passifiume reported last week, that boy’s mother was outraged that the person charged in the alleged attack on the little girl only served one year and landed out of jail just a short distance away from this home which police say he allegedly broke into as part of the vicious attack.
These are ugly times where the criminals are king and the victims are zero.
Poilievre and many others are upset. “Lock him up. Throw away the key,” the Conservative leader posted. “And ban biological men from women’s prisons. Period.”
Welland has had enough of this craziness.
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
Mayor Frank Campion has written justice authorities where he “demanded urgent reforms” including “stronger bail and sentencing laws, so that those charged with violent sexual crimes face the full weight of consequences, with no chance of early release in cases of extreme brutality” and that there is “the complete elimination of parole for crimes of this nature, ensuring offenders serve their entire sentences — without exception” and “stricter enforcement of the National Sex Offender Registry, so that no community is left unaware of who lives in their midst.”
In this case, the charges have not been tested in court.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how the court handles the situation because there is extreme outrage in Niagara Region over this madness.
While every person is entitled to due process, it would be a spit in the face to the alleged victim and her family if bail is granted or if there is a transfer to a women’s facility.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
torontosun.com
While the Facebook page says his 'birth name' is Daniel Senecal, the name under his picture says he is Dani Senecal
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Sep 10, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
204 Comments
Daniel Senecal, seen here, is in custody for an alleged sexual assault of a child in Welland.
Daniel Senecal, seen here, is in custody for an alleged sexual assault of a child in Welland. Photo by Submitted /Postmedia
The first clue that something could be up was noticed on Daniel Senecal’s Facebook page where under his photograph his pronouns are listed as “she/her.”
But he has been charged with sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an alleged Aug. 31 incident in Welland as a he/him.
Now, Canada’s leader of the country’s official Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, says the accused wants to be moved from a male correctional institution to one that houses females.
“Appalling,” wrote Poilievre on X. “Now, this vile male monster charged with violently sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl wants to be transferred to a women’s prison. “
Whether or not this application is made may come clearer Wednesday when the accused makes a court appearance in St. Catharines, where a protest is underway.
While the Facebook page says his “birth name” is Daniel Senecal, the name under his picture says he is Dani Senecal.
Daniel Senecal
A screenshot of Daniel Senecal Facebook page.
Former Toronto Police officer Ron Chhinzer, a federal Conservative candidate in the last election, also reposted a Toronto Crime Watch Facebook posting that said Senecal “is currently being held in segregation at the Niagara Detention Centre and has requested a transfer to the Vanier Centre for Women if he doesn’t get bail under the guise he is transgender. The Vanier Centre for Women is a female only correctional and remand facility.”
Time will tell how the day shakes out. This information that the accused identifies as female has been whispered since the arrest but has not been confirmed. It has yet to be released which lawyer is representing Senecal or what the plan of defence is. His hearing — in which he just spoke and was not on video — was put over Wednesday until Oct. 15 by video.
Like Poilievre, protesters were not waiting to find out. They plan to raise this concern at the courthouse in St. Cathartines as well as the overall outrage that Senecal is alleged to have sexually assaulted the child not long after receiving a lenient sentence of 18 months for a previous sexual assault on a 12-year-old boy.
As the Toronto Sun’s Bryan Passifiume reported last week, that boy’s mother was outraged that the person charged in the alleged attack on the little girl only served one year and landed out of jail just a short distance away from this home which police say he allegedly broke into as part of the vicious attack.
These are ugly times where the criminals are king and the victims are zero.
Poilievre and many others are upset. “Lock him up. Throw away the key,” the Conservative leader posted. “And ban biological men from women’s prisons. Period.”
Welland has had enough of this craziness.
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
Mayor Frank Campion has written justice authorities where he “demanded urgent reforms” including “stronger bail and sentencing laws, so that those charged with violent sexual crimes face the full weight of consequences, with no chance of early release in cases of extreme brutality” and that there is “the complete elimination of parole for crimes of this nature, ensuring offenders serve their entire sentences — without exception” and “stricter enforcement of the National Sex Offender Registry, so that no community is left unaware of who lives in their midst.”
In this case, the charges have not been tested in court.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how the court handles the situation because there is extreme outrage in Niagara Region over this madness.
While every person is entitled to due process, it would be a spit in the face to the alleged victim and her family if bail is granted or if there is a transfer to a women’s facility.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
People protest in St. Catharines outside the courthouse hearing the case of Daniel Seneca, who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in an Aug. 31 incident in Welland. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN
WARMINGTON: Accused in Welland sex assault of girl wants move to women's prison
While the Facebook page says his 'birth name' is Daniel Senecal, the name under his picture says he is Dani Senecal.
Trump now has NRA standing up for transgender rights
The idea that trans people as a class should be denied their gun rights based on five confirmed trans perpetrators is ludicrous
Author of the article:Jonah Goldberg
Published Sep 13, 2025 • Last updated 8 hours ago • 4 minute read
Then former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to guests at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Indianapolis, April 14, 2023.
Then former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to guests at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Indianapolis, April 14, 2023. Photo by Scott Olson / Files /Getty Images
Given the tsunami of news demanding your attention, you might have missed an interesting trial balloon launched by the United States Department of Justice last week.
Officials briefed reporters on preliminary discussions among the department’s top brass to ban transgender people from buying guns. This was in the wake of last month’s horrendous Minneapolis church shooting by a deranged killer who identified as trans and who murdered two children and injured at least 17 others.
The first outlet to report on the talks was the very Trump-friendly Daily Wire.
The salient political issue, according to reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, was that, “The move would undoubtedly infuriate those on the left who believe that men can become women and women can become men – and that people who identify as transgender are not mentally ill but merely living in the wrong body.”
It’s certainly true that the trial balloon irked many on the left. GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign and similar groups from the civil rights community were also appalled.
But among the bothered was a very different kind of civil rights group.
082825-APTOPIX_School-Shooting-Minneapolis
People gather at a vigil at Lynnhurst Park after a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn /AP
The National Rifle Association, which describes itself as America’s “longest-standing civil rights organization,” responded in a statement: “The NRA supports the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans to purchase, possess and use firearms. NRA does not, and will not, support any policy proposals that implement sweeping gun bans that arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process.”
Reading this Daily Wire exclusive, you might not have foreseen that gun rights groups would have a problem with the idea of stripping any category of people of a constitutional right. The issue didn’t come up. Phrases such as “gun rights” or “Second Amendment” go unmentioned. The news was about owning the libs by declaring all transgender people mentally ill and therefore barred from purchasing firearms.
Given that the NRA and other groups shot the Justice Department’s trial balloon out of the sky, it will probably go nowhere, not least because the move is wildly unconstitutional.
So why pay it any more attention?
For starters, whatever one thinks about transgenderism, or even the concept of “trans-terrorism” as pushed by the administration and various MAGA influencers, the idea that the executive branch can unilaterally deprive a class of people – no matter how disfavoured — of a constitutional right is worth notice.
For those who are hostile to gun rights, this point should still be obvious. Just replace the Second Amendment with the First. Can the president announce that trans people – or Muslims, Catholics, et al. – no longer have the right to speak or worship freely?
The rhetoric around “trans-terrorism” is, I think, evidence of a kind of hysteria that has gotten way ahead of the facts. I also think, like all moral panics, there is a kernel of truth to be found. There has been an increase of mass shootings by mentally disturbed trans individuals. But no matter how you crunch the numbers, the idea that trans people as a class should be denied their gun rights based on five confirmed trans perpetrators is ludicrous.
After all, according to some estimates, roughly one in four mass shooters have some military experience or training. That doesn’t mean military service makes one a mass shooter, and any attempt to deprive veterans of their gun rights has historically been met with massive pushback from conservatives.
Still, this short chapter is interesting for other reasons. The Trump administration is terminally online. It takes its cues from social media and sites such as the Daily Wire. That the Justice Department and the Daily Wire were so swept up in the feeding frenzy that it considered an obviously unconstitutional policy – even for clicks – would be surprising were it not so, well, unsurprising these days.
The NRA’s response is a sign that some in the Trump coalition still have the capacity to think beyond the horizon of a news cycle or the remainder of the Trump years. I have no clue what the leadership of the NRA thinks about trans people. But what they do know is that precedents established by a friendly president can be exploited by a future unfriendly one. A momentary victory in the culture war is not worth the price. (Indeed, for gun control activists, this might be remembered as a missed opportunity. Establishing the principle that presidents have sweeping authority to ban guns would have been a massive victory, though the political and moral cost would have been enormous, too.)
Tragically, none of this gets us any closer to any kind of solution to the problem of mass shootings. But maybe learning that such solutions won’t come from pandering to hysteria is a step in the right direction.
– Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His X handle is @JonahDispatch
torontosun.com
The idea that trans people as a class should be denied their gun rights based on five confirmed trans perpetrators is ludicrous
Author of the article:Jonah Goldberg
Published Sep 13, 2025 • Last updated 8 hours ago • 4 minute read
Then former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to guests at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Indianapolis, April 14, 2023.
Then former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to guests at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Indianapolis, April 14, 2023. Photo by Scott Olson / Files /Getty Images
Given the tsunami of news demanding your attention, you might have missed an interesting trial balloon launched by the United States Department of Justice last week.
Officials briefed reporters on preliminary discussions among the department’s top brass to ban transgender people from buying guns. This was in the wake of last month’s horrendous Minneapolis church shooting by a deranged killer who identified as trans and who murdered two children and injured at least 17 others.
The first outlet to report on the talks was the very Trump-friendly Daily Wire.
The salient political issue, according to reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, was that, “The move would undoubtedly infuriate those on the left who believe that men can become women and women can become men – and that people who identify as transgender are not mentally ill but merely living in the wrong body.”
It’s certainly true that the trial balloon irked many on the left. GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign and similar groups from the civil rights community were also appalled.
But among the bothered was a very different kind of civil rights group.
082825-APTOPIX_School-Shooting-Minneapolis
People gather at a vigil at Lynnhurst Park after a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn /AP
The National Rifle Association, which describes itself as America’s “longest-standing civil rights organization,” responded in a statement: “The NRA supports the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans to purchase, possess and use firearms. NRA does not, and will not, support any policy proposals that implement sweeping gun bans that arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process.”
Reading this Daily Wire exclusive, you might not have foreseen that gun rights groups would have a problem with the idea of stripping any category of people of a constitutional right. The issue didn’t come up. Phrases such as “gun rights” or “Second Amendment” go unmentioned. The news was about owning the libs by declaring all transgender people mentally ill and therefore barred from purchasing firearms.
Given that the NRA and other groups shot the Justice Department’s trial balloon out of the sky, it will probably go nowhere, not least because the move is wildly unconstitutional.
So why pay it any more attention?
For starters, whatever one thinks about transgenderism, or even the concept of “trans-terrorism” as pushed by the administration and various MAGA influencers, the idea that the executive branch can unilaterally deprive a class of people – no matter how disfavoured — of a constitutional right is worth notice.
For those who are hostile to gun rights, this point should still be obvious. Just replace the Second Amendment with the First. Can the president announce that trans people – or Muslims, Catholics, et al. – no longer have the right to speak or worship freely?
The rhetoric around “trans-terrorism” is, I think, evidence of a kind of hysteria that has gotten way ahead of the facts. I also think, like all moral panics, there is a kernel of truth to be found. There has been an increase of mass shootings by mentally disturbed trans individuals. But no matter how you crunch the numbers, the idea that trans people as a class should be denied their gun rights based on five confirmed trans perpetrators is ludicrous.
After all, according to some estimates, roughly one in four mass shooters have some military experience or training. That doesn’t mean military service makes one a mass shooter, and any attempt to deprive veterans of their gun rights has historically been met with massive pushback from conservatives.
Still, this short chapter is interesting for other reasons. The Trump administration is terminally online. It takes its cues from social media and sites such as the Daily Wire. That the Justice Department and the Daily Wire were so swept up in the feeding frenzy that it considered an obviously unconstitutional policy – even for clicks – would be surprising were it not so, well, unsurprising these days.
The NRA’s response is a sign that some in the Trump coalition still have the capacity to think beyond the horizon of a news cycle or the remainder of the Trump years. I have no clue what the leadership of the NRA thinks about trans people. But what they do know is that precedents established by a friendly president can be exploited by a future unfriendly one. A momentary victory in the culture war is not worth the price. (Indeed, for gun control activists, this might be remembered as a missed opportunity. Establishing the principle that presidents have sweeping authority to ban guns would have been a massive victory, though the political and moral cost would have been enormous, too.)
Tragically, none of this gets us any closer to any kind of solution to the problem of mass shootings. But maybe learning that such solutions won’t come from pandering to hysteria is a step in the right direction.
– Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His X handle is @JonahDispatch
JONAH GOLDBERG: Trump now has NRA standing up for transgender rights
Given the tsunami of news demanding your attention you might have missed an interesting trial balloon launched by the Department of Justice.
Gay Turkey singer faces criminal probe for 'obscene' song
Authorities have stepped up sanctions on musicians and a TV production company as the country marks Year of the Family
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Published Sep 19, 2025 • 2 minute read
Family values are at the heart of Turkish society, the authorities say.
Family values are at the heart of Turkish society, the authorities say.
ISTANBUL — A Turkish singer-songwriter has been slapped with a criminal complaint by the interior ministry over a song deemed “obscene” in the latest legal move targeting artists over alleged public indecency.
Authorities have in recent weeks stepped up sanctions on musicians and a TV production company as Turkey marks “Year of the Family”.
The latest move, announced by the ministry on X late Thursday, targeted 40-year-old Mabel Matiz, a popular gay singer-songwriter, over his latest track called “Perperisan” (Turkish for ‘exhausted’) in which he alludes to his attraction from afar to a young man.
In its post, the ministry cited violations of Article 226 of Turkish penal code, which criminalises the dissemination, distribution or publication of “obscene” content — an offence which carries a jail term of between six months and two years.
The ministry of family and social services asked that the song be blocked on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, the Engeliweb internet watchdog said Thursday, although it still appeared to be accessible on Friday.
This week, popular Turkish soap opera Kizilcik Serbeti found itself in the firing line after the first episode of its new season showed the main character having an affair with her brother-in-law.
Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog RTUK opened an investigation on Sunday on grounds it had prompted public complaints.
“Any broadcast targeting the family… directly affects the souls of our children, the future of our youth, and the peace of our society,” its director Ebubekir Sahin wrote on X.
A day later, series screenwriter Merve Gontem was detained, allegedly over an unrelated matter, Turkish media reported.
She was released two days later but the storyline has since been altered, with the second episode set to air on Friday evening.
Two weeks ago, prosecutors opened a probe into the popular girl band “Manifest” on charges of “obscenity” over their dance routines at an Istanbul gig.
It said their actions had “violated public decency, modesty, and moral norms” with the potential to “negatively influence children and young people,” Turkish media reported.
In a post on X, singer-songwriters Matiz — whose YouTube channel has nearly 1,000,000 subscribers — said his lyrics were being “deliberately twisted”, insisting it was a song that drew on the tradition of Turkish folk literature that “tells a love story through metaphors”.
It is not uncommon to find frequent sexual references in traditional Turkish folk songs.
“I want to believe that public order and our collective well-being are not so fragile as to be disrupted by a mere song,” he wrote.
torontosun.com
Authorities have stepped up sanctions on musicians and a TV production company as the country marks Year of the Family
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Published Sep 19, 2025 • 2 minute read
Family values are at the heart of Turkish society, the authorities say.
Family values are at the heart of Turkish society, the authorities say.
ISTANBUL — A Turkish singer-songwriter has been slapped with a criminal complaint by the interior ministry over a song deemed “obscene” in the latest legal move targeting artists over alleged public indecency.
Authorities have in recent weeks stepped up sanctions on musicians and a TV production company as Turkey marks “Year of the Family”.
The latest move, announced by the ministry on X late Thursday, targeted 40-year-old Mabel Matiz, a popular gay singer-songwriter, over his latest track called “Perperisan” (Turkish for ‘exhausted’) in which he alludes to his attraction from afar to a young man.
In its post, the ministry cited violations of Article 226 of Turkish penal code, which criminalises the dissemination, distribution or publication of “obscene” content — an offence which carries a jail term of between six months and two years.
The ministry of family and social services asked that the song be blocked on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, the Engeliweb internet watchdog said Thursday, although it still appeared to be accessible on Friday.
This week, popular Turkish soap opera Kizilcik Serbeti found itself in the firing line after the first episode of its new season showed the main character having an affair with her brother-in-law.
Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog RTUK opened an investigation on Sunday on grounds it had prompted public complaints.
“Any broadcast targeting the family… directly affects the souls of our children, the future of our youth, and the peace of our society,” its director Ebubekir Sahin wrote on X.
A day later, series screenwriter Merve Gontem was detained, allegedly over an unrelated matter, Turkish media reported.
She was released two days later but the storyline has since been altered, with the second episode set to air on Friday evening.
Two weeks ago, prosecutors opened a probe into the popular girl band “Manifest” on charges of “obscenity” over their dance routines at an Istanbul gig.
It said their actions had “violated public decency, modesty, and moral norms” with the potential to “negatively influence children and young people,” Turkish media reported.
In a post on X, singer-songwriters Matiz — whose YouTube channel has nearly 1,000,000 subscribers — said his lyrics were being “deliberately twisted”, insisting it was a song that drew on the tradition of Turkish folk literature that “tells a love story through metaphors”.
It is not uncommon to find frequent sexual references in traditional Turkish folk songs.
“I want to believe that public order and our collective well-being are not so fragile as to be disrupted by a mere song,” he wrote.
Gay Turkey singer faces criminal probe for 'obscene' song
Authorities have in recent weeks stepped up sanctions on musicians and a TV production company as Turkey marks Year of the Family.
French first couple to present 'scientific' evidence in lawsuit against Candace Owens
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Published Sep 19, 2025 • 2 minute read
French first lady Brigitte Macron (left) has been the focus of persisent speculation at home that she is a transgender woman.
Washington (AFP) — Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron will offer “scientific” evidence and photos proving that France’s first lady is a woman, the lawyer representing them in a U.S. lawsuit said Friday.
Attorney Tom Clare said the Macrons planned to testify in their case against conservative American commentator Candace Owens, whom the plaintiffs accuse of helping fan online rumours about whether the French president’s wife is a transgender woman.
“There will be expert testimony that will come out, that will be scientific in nature, that will also demonstrate the falsity of the statements,” Clare said in an interview on the BBC.
Clare’s comments on “Fame Under Fire,” a BBC podcast, were confirmed to AFP by spokespersons for his law firm.
Speculation around Brigitte Macron’s gender has swirled in France for years. The lawsuit against Owens is unfolding as President Macron contends with a low popularity rating in opinion polls and government instability.
Clare said he couldn’t reveal details about his team’s strategy regarding the expert testimony but it was prepared to demonstrate fully that Owens, an influencer with a huge following on social media platforms, had spread falsehoods about the French first lady.
The lawyer for the Macrons said that the burden of proof in this defamation case is on the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs, who filed their lawsuit against Owens in a court in the state of Delaware in July, also intend to present photographs showing Brigitte Macron with her children or photos of her when she was pregnant, Clare said.
“These falsehoods are like a cancer,” he said. “They metastasize into the mainstream media.”
And because Owens has a sizable audience, he added, “people listen to her.”
On Thursday, Owens posted a message on her X channel dismissing the Macrons’ allegations against her as “verifiably false.”
“She [Brigitte Macron] isn’t suing me for saying she’s a man. She has never sued anyone ever for saying she’s a dude. Because she is one,” Owens wrote.
Brigitte Macron, 72, has also taken to the courts in France to combat claims she was born a man.
Two women were convicted in September 2024 of spreading false claims after they posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux — who is actually her brother.
The ruling against Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy was overturned by a Paris appeals court and Macron appealed to the highest appeals court, the Court de Cassation, earlier in July.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Published Sep 19, 2025 • 2 minute read
French first lady Brigitte Macron (left) has been the focus of persisent speculation at home that she is a transgender woman.
Washington (AFP) — Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron will offer “scientific” evidence and photos proving that France’s first lady is a woman, the lawyer representing them in a U.S. lawsuit said Friday.
Attorney Tom Clare said the Macrons planned to testify in their case against conservative American commentator Candace Owens, whom the plaintiffs accuse of helping fan online rumours about whether the French president’s wife is a transgender woman.
“There will be expert testimony that will come out, that will be scientific in nature, that will also demonstrate the falsity of the statements,” Clare said in an interview on the BBC.
Clare’s comments on “Fame Under Fire,” a BBC podcast, were confirmed to AFP by spokespersons for his law firm.
Speculation around Brigitte Macron’s gender has swirled in France for years. The lawsuit against Owens is unfolding as President Macron contends with a low popularity rating in opinion polls and government instability.
Clare said he couldn’t reveal details about his team’s strategy regarding the expert testimony but it was prepared to demonstrate fully that Owens, an influencer with a huge following on social media platforms, had spread falsehoods about the French first lady.
The lawyer for the Macrons said that the burden of proof in this defamation case is on the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs, who filed their lawsuit against Owens in a court in the state of Delaware in July, also intend to present photographs showing Brigitte Macron with her children or photos of her when she was pregnant, Clare said.
“These falsehoods are like a cancer,” he said. “They metastasize into the mainstream media.”
And because Owens has a sizable audience, he added, “people listen to her.”
On Thursday, Owens posted a message on her X channel dismissing the Macrons’ allegations against her as “verifiably false.”
“She [Brigitte Macron] isn’t suing me for saying she’s a man. She has never sued anyone ever for saying she’s a dude. Because she is one,” Owens wrote.
Brigitte Macron, 72, has also taken to the courts in France to combat claims she was born a man.
Two women were convicted in September 2024 of spreading false claims after they posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux — who is actually her brother.
The ruling against Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy was overturned by a Paris appeals court and Macron appealed to the highest appeals court, the Court de Cassation, earlier in July.
French first couple to present 'scientific' evidence in lawsuit against Candace Owens
Attorney Tom Clare said the Macrons planned to testify in their case against conservative American commentator Candace Owens.
What's hilarious is that when they sit and think about it, Republicans realize how stupid they're being.
www.youtube.com
When I was in Air Cadets, I was called a "young man".
Just a couple of years ago, I was called "sir".
Now, that didn't bother me, because I don't care what gender you label me as (or call me as a name, frankly). And I'm not the only person who is called the "wrong" gender pronoun sometimes. Putting she/her he/him or whatever pronoun you prefer isn't just to be trans supportive, it's just to let others know that "Hey, I'm ______ gender". Because sometimes Kim, Lesley, Alex, Bailey and other names can be any gender, so going by names won't tell you shit anymore, either.
Republicans Attempt Pronoun Ban at State Dept.
The Republicans tried to prohibit State Department employees from using pronouns on their business cards and email signatures. Democratic lawmakers quickly p...
www.youtube.com
When I was in Air Cadets, I was called a "young man".
Just a couple of years ago, I was called "sir".
Now, that didn't bother me, because I don't care what gender you label me as (or call me as a name, frankly). And I'm not the only person who is called the "wrong" gender pronoun sometimes. Putting she/her he/him or whatever pronoun you prefer isn't just to be trans supportive, it's just to let others know that "Hey, I'm ______ gender". Because sometimes Kim, Lesley, Alex, Bailey and other names can be any gender, so going by names won't tell you shit anymore, either.
Do you need a gender?What's hilarious is that when they sit and think about it, Republicans realize how stupid they're being.
Republicans Attempt Pronoun Ban at State Dept.
The Republicans tried to prohibit State Department employees from using pronouns on their business cards and email signatures. Democratic lawmakers quickly p...
When I was in Air Cadets, I was called a "young man".
Just a couple of years ago, I was called "sir".
Now, that didn't bother me, because I don't care what gender you label me as (or call me as a name, frankly). And I'm not the only person who is called the "wrong" gender pronoun sometimes. Putting she/her he/him or whatever pronoun you prefer isn't just to be trans supportive, it's just to let others know that "Hey, I'm ______ gender". Because sometimes Kim, Lesley, Alex, Bailey and other names can be any gender, so going by names won't tell you shit anymore, either.
At some point ya gotta quit throwing red meat to the terrified conservatives and actually try to govern.What's hilarious is that when they sit and think about it, Republicans realize how stupid they're being.
Republicans Attempt Pronoun Ban at State Dept.
The Republicans tried to prohibit State Department employees from using pronouns on their business cards and email signatures. Democratic lawmakers quickly p...
When I was in Air Cadets, I was called a "young man".
Just a couple of years ago, I was called "sir".
Now, that didn't bother me, because I don't care what gender you label me as (or call me as a name, frankly). And I'm not the only person who is called the "wrong" gender pronoun sometimes. Putting she/her he/him or whatever pronoun you prefer isn't just to be trans supportive, it's just to let others know that "Hey, I'm ______ gender". Because sometimes Kim, Lesley, Alex, Bailey and other names can be any gender, so going by names won't tell you shit anymore, either.
Do you?
Cause I don't care what gender you say I am (but being gender fluid gives me that I suppose
)
Not really. Its just a label.Do you?
Cause I don't care what gender you say I am (but being gender fluid gives me that I suppose
Key Points
Question What is the prevalence of gender-affirming surgery (GAS), high surgical satisfaction, and barriers to GAS among transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse (TGD) adults, and what factors are associated with these outcomes?
Findings In this cross-sectional study of 2176 TGD adult primary care patients, 946 (44%) reported having GAS, 776 of these (82.0%) reported high surgical satisfaction, and 2073 participants (94.4%) encountered a barrier to GAS. GAS prevalence, satisfaction, and barriers differed between transmasculine and transfeminine patients.
Meaning These findings suggest that there is an unmet need for GAS among TGD patients, warranting interventions to improve the availability and accessibility of these services.
True. But to some it's not, call them the wrong gender and they freak out. Hence why to some it's important. And to Trans people, it's a little more so.
Trump says he has commuted sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos in federal fraud case
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Philip Marcelo
Published Oct 17, 2025 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 4 minute read
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he had commuted the sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who was slated to serve more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges.
Joseph Murray, one of Santos’ lawyers, told The Associated Press late Friday that the former lawmaker was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, around 11 p.m., and was greeted outside the facility by his family.
The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign.
He reported to FCI Fairton on July 25 and was housed in a minimum security prison camp with fewer than 50 other inmates.
“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump posted on his social media platform. He said he had “just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY.”
“Good luck George, have a great life!” Trump said.
Santos’ account on X, which has been active throughout his roughly 84 days in prison, reposted a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post Friday.
During his time behind bars, Santos has been writing regular dispatches in a local newspaper on Long Island, in which he mainly complained about the prison conditions.
In his latest letter, though, he pleaded to Trump directly, citing his fealty to the president’s agenda and to the Republican Party.
“Sir, I appeal to your sense of justice and humanity — the same qualities that have inspired millions of Americans to believe in you,“ he wrote in The South Shore Press on Oct. 13. ”I humbly ask that you consider the unusual pain and hardship of this environment and allow me the opportunity to return to my family, my friends, and my community.”
Santos’ commutation is Trump’s latest high-profile act of clemency for former Republican politicians since retaking the White House in January.
In late May, he pardoned former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who in 2014 pleaded guilty to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan. He also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two federal prison stints.
But in granting clemency to Santos, Trump was rewarding a figure who has drawn scorn from within his own party.
After becoming the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, Santos served less than a year after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story.
On the campaign trail, Santos had claimed he was a successful business consultant with Wall Street cred and a sizable real estate portfolio. But when his resume came under scrutiny, Santos eventually admitted he had never graduated from Baruch College — or been a standout player on the Manhattan college’s volleyball team, as he had claimed. He had never worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
He wasn’t even Jewish. Santos insisted he meant he was “Jew-ish” because his mother’s family had a Jewish background, even though he was raised Catholic.
In truth, the then-34-year-old was struggling financially and even faced eviction.
Santos was charged in 2023 with stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.
Within months, he was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives — with 105 Republicans joining with Democrats to make Santos just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues..
Santos pleaded guilty as he was set to stand trial.
Still, a prominent former House colleague, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, urged the White House to commute Santos’ sentence, saying in a letter sent just days into his prison bid that the punishment was “a grave injustice” and a product of judicial overreach.
Greene was among those who cheered the announcement Friday. But U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, a Republican who represents part of Long Island and has been highly critical of Santos, said in a post on social media that Santos “didn’t merely lie” and his crimes “warrant more than a three-month sentence.”
“He should devote the rest of his life to demonstrating remorse and making restitution to those he wronged,” LaLota said.
Santos’ clemency appears to clear not just his prison term, but also any “further fines, restitution, probation, supervised release, or other conditions,” according to a copy of Trump’s order posted on X by Ed Martin, the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.
As part of his guilty plea, Santos had agreed to pay restitution of $373,750 and forfeiture of $205,003.
In explaining his reason for granting Santos clemency, Trump said the lies Santos told about himself were no worse than misleading statements U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal — a Democrat and frequent critic of the administration — had made about his military record.
Blumenthal apologized 15 years ago for implying that he served in Vietnam, when he was stateside in the Marine Reserve during the war.
“This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Trump wrote.
The president himself was convicted in a New York court last year in a case involving hush money payments. He derided the case as part of a politically motivated witch hunt.
— Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York and Susan Haigh in Connecticut contributed to this report.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Philip Marcelo
Published Oct 17, 2025 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 4 minute read
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he had commuted the sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who was slated to serve more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges.
Joseph Murray, one of Santos’ lawyers, told The Associated Press late Friday that the former lawmaker was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, around 11 p.m., and was greeted outside the facility by his family.
The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign.
He reported to FCI Fairton on July 25 and was housed in a minimum security prison camp with fewer than 50 other inmates.
“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump posted on his social media platform. He said he had “just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY.”
“Good luck George, have a great life!” Trump said.
Santos’ account on X, which has been active throughout his roughly 84 days in prison, reposted a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post Friday.
During his time behind bars, Santos has been writing regular dispatches in a local newspaper on Long Island, in which he mainly complained about the prison conditions.
In his latest letter, though, he pleaded to Trump directly, citing his fealty to the president’s agenda and to the Republican Party.
“Sir, I appeal to your sense of justice and humanity — the same qualities that have inspired millions of Americans to believe in you,“ he wrote in The South Shore Press on Oct. 13. ”I humbly ask that you consider the unusual pain and hardship of this environment and allow me the opportunity to return to my family, my friends, and my community.”
Santos’ commutation is Trump’s latest high-profile act of clemency for former Republican politicians since retaking the White House in January.
In late May, he pardoned former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who in 2014 pleaded guilty to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan. He also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two federal prison stints.
But in granting clemency to Santos, Trump was rewarding a figure who has drawn scorn from within his own party.
After becoming the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, Santos served less than a year after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story.
On the campaign trail, Santos had claimed he was a successful business consultant with Wall Street cred and a sizable real estate portfolio. But when his resume came under scrutiny, Santos eventually admitted he had never graduated from Baruch College — or been a standout player on the Manhattan college’s volleyball team, as he had claimed. He had never worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
He wasn’t even Jewish. Santos insisted he meant he was “Jew-ish” because his mother’s family had a Jewish background, even though he was raised Catholic.
In truth, the then-34-year-old was struggling financially and even faced eviction.
Santos was charged in 2023 with stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.
Within months, he was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives — with 105 Republicans joining with Democrats to make Santos just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues..
Santos pleaded guilty as he was set to stand trial.
Still, a prominent former House colleague, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, urged the White House to commute Santos’ sentence, saying in a letter sent just days into his prison bid that the punishment was “a grave injustice” and a product of judicial overreach.
Greene was among those who cheered the announcement Friday. But U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, a Republican who represents part of Long Island and has been highly critical of Santos, said in a post on social media that Santos “didn’t merely lie” and his crimes “warrant more than a three-month sentence.”
“He should devote the rest of his life to demonstrating remorse and making restitution to those he wronged,” LaLota said.
Santos’ clemency appears to clear not just his prison term, but also any “further fines, restitution, probation, supervised release, or other conditions,” according to a copy of Trump’s order posted on X by Ed Martin, the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.
As part of his guilty plea, Santos had agreed to pay restitution of $373,750 and forfeiture of $205,003.
In explaining his reason for granting Santos clemency, Trump said the lies Santos told about himself were no worse than misleading statements U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal — a Democrat and frequent critic of the administration — had made about his military record.
Blumenthal apologized 15 years ago for implying that he served in Vietnam, when he was stateside in the Marine Reserve during the war.
“This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Trump wrote.
The president himself was convicted in a New York court last year in a case involving hush money payments. He derided the case as part of a politically motivated witch hunt.
— Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York and Susan Haigh in Connecticut contributed to this report.
Trump says he has commuted sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos in federal fraud case
President Donald Trump said Friday he had commuted the sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos.
George Santos released from prison after Trump commutes sentence
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Alec Dent, Kadia Goba, Brianna Tucker, The Washington Post
Published Oct 18, 2025 • 4 minute read
Disgraced former congressman George Santos (R-New York) was released from prison late Friday after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence for identity theft and wire fraud.
Santos was released from prison Friday night, according to his attorney, Joe Murray. His family picked him up, Murray said.
“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” said Trump in a social media post announcing the commutation. “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
Santos, who was expelled from the House after being accused of financial misconduct and telling myriad lies about his background, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was less than three months into his sentence when his release was ordered.
Prosecutors said at the time of his sentencing that even after pleading guilty last year, Santos “repeatedly attempted to shift blame onto others” and showed no genuine remorse. They had asked for him to be imprisoned for 87 months, saying that “a significant prison sentence is needed here” to deter him from further misdeeds and send a message “to other would-be fraudsters.”
Before his release, Santos had been held at FCI Fairton, a medium-security facility in New Jersey, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
The commutation for Santos is the latest high-profile clemency decision made by Trump. In one of his first acts after being sworn into office for a second term, Trump pardoned or granted clemency to all rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has also pardoned reality TV stars, a gang leader who built a powerful criminal enterprise and a Connecticut governor toppled in a corruption scandal, among others.
In May, he pardoned a sheriff who was convicted of federal bribery and fraud charges over accepting more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing wealthy businessmen as unpaid auxiliary deputies.
Santos admitted to defrauding donors to his 2022 campaign by taking their money for his personal use and charging thousands of dollars on their credit cards without authorization, among other charges. He also admitted in court to wrongfully claiming unemployment benefits for nearly a year and making false statements to Congress on his required disclosure statements, in which he said that he had millions of dollars in fabricated assets.
He had just been elected to Congress in 2022 when news reports began exposing a slew of lies he had told about his background. He claimed to have studied at educational institutions he never attended for high school, college and business school. He said he worked at the Wall Street firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup; he did not. He falsely said that his mother was inside the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and that his grandparents fled the Holocaust.
Throughout his legal battles and in the lead-up to when he reported to prison, Santos voiced support for Trump, telling Politico that he “will not waver” in his support of him. In media appearances, Santos said he would accept a pardon or commutation from Trump and sought to find common ground with Trump by characterizing himself as a victim of political persecution.
“I am forever grateful to President Donald Trump,” said Matheus Santos, who has identified has the ex-congressman’s husband.
Presidential commutations reduce sentences and can release a defendant’s obligations to pay fines or restitution. However, a commuted sentence “does not change the fact of conviction, imply innocence, or remove civil disabilities that apply to the convicted person as a result of the criminal conviction,” according to the Department of Justice.
The commutation of Santos, a polarizing figure in Congress whose expulsion received significant support from his fellow Republicans, prompted criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) called Santos a “serial fraudster” and suggested Trump could be better using his time to address health care.
Former congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) called the commutation “a feature of corruption.” It is a message, he said on social media, “if you like me you can get away with anything. If we accept this as ok our kids will never forgive us.”
Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (D), who had his own federal corruption conviction commuted by Trump in 2020 and was then pardoned fully by Trump in 2025, said on Newsmax, “I know President Trump did the right thing with me, I’m sure he did the right thing with Congressman Santos as well.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), who sent a letter to the Department of Justice in August, thanked Trump for his decision and said Santos was “unfairly treated.”
Santos’s federal court plea covered the fabrication of Federal Election Commission filings that Santos and his treasurer submitted to qualify for campaign support from a national party committee. The campaign finance reporting contained entries of nonexistent, significant donations from family members. The submissions also falsely claimed that Santos loaned his campaign $500,000 at a time when he had $8,000 in his bank accounts, according to prosecutors.
Santos had written two articles for the South Shore Press, a local news outlet in New York, about his life in prison. In one article, he described being put into solitary confinement.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Alec Dent, Kadia Goba, Brianna Tucker, The Washington Post
Published Oct 18, 2025 • 4 minute read
Disgraced former congressman George Santos (R-New York) was released from prison late Friday after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence for identity theft and wire fraud.
Santos was released from prison Friday night, according to his attorney, Joe Murray. His family picked him up, Murray said.
“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” said Trump in a social media post announcing the commutation. “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
Santos, who was expelled from the House after being accused of financial misconduct and telling myriad lies about his background, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was less than three months into his sentence when his release was ordered.
Prosecutors said at the time of his sentencing that even after pleading guilty last year, Santos “repeatedly attempted to shift blame onto others” and showed no genuine remorse. They had asked for him to be imprisoned for 87 months, saying that “a significant prison sentence is needed here” to deter him from further misdeeds and send a message “to other would-be fraudsters.”
Before his release, Santos had been held at FCI Fairton, a medium-security facility in New Jersey, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
The commutation for Santos is the latest high-profile clemency decision made by Trump. In one of his first acts after being sworn into office for a second term, Trump pardoned or granted clemency to all rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has also pardoned reality TV stars, a gang leader who built a powerful criminal enterprise and a Connecticut governor toppled in a corruption scandal, among others.
In May, he pardoned a sheriff who was convicted of federal bribery and fraud charges over accepting more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing wealthy businessmen as unpaid auxiliary deputies.
Santos admitted to defrauding donors to his 2022 campaign by taking their money for his personal use and charging thousands of dollars on their credit cards without authorization, among other charges. He also admitted in court to wrongfully claiming unemployment benefits for nearly a year and making false statements to Congress on his required disclosure statements, in which he said that he had millions of dollars in fabricated assets.
He had just been elected to Congress in 2022 when news reports began exposing a slew of lies he had told about his background. He claimed to have studied at educational institutions he never attended for high school, college and business school. He said he worked at the Wall Street firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup; he did not. He falsely said that his mother was inside the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and that his grandparents fled the Holocaust.
Throughout his legal battles and in the lead-up to when he reported to prison, Santos voiced support for Trump, telling Politico that he “will not waver” in his support of him. In media appearances, Santos said he would accept a pardon or commutation from Trump and sought to find common ground with Trump by characterizing himself as a victim of political persecution.
“I am forever grateful to President Donald Trump,” said Matheus Santos, who has identified has the ex-congressman’s husband.
Presidential commutations reduce sentences and can release a defendant’s obligations to pay fines or restitution. However, a commuted sentence “does not change the fact of conviction, imply innocence, or remove civil disabilities that apply to the convicted person as a result of the criminal conviction,” according to the Department of Justice.
The commutation of Santos, a polarizing figure in Congress whose expulsion received significant support from his fellow Republicans, prompted criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) called Santos a “serial fraudster” and suggested Trump could be better using his time to address health care.
Former congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) called the commutation “a feature of corruption.” It is a message, he said on social media, “if you like me you can get away with anything. If we accept this as ok our kids will never forgive us.”
Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (D), who had his own federal corruption conviction commuted by Trump in 2020 and was then pardoned fully by Trump in 2025, said on Newsmax, “I know President Trump did the right thing with me, I’m sure he did the right thing with Congressman Santos as well.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), who sent a letter to the Department of Justice in August, thanked Trump for his decision and said Santos was “unfairly treated.”
Santos’s federal court plea covered the fabrication of Federal Election Commission filings that Santos and his treasurer submitted to qualify for campaign support from a national party committee. The campaign finance reporting contained entries of nonexistent, significant donations from family members. The submissions also falsely claimed that Santos loaned his campaign $500,000 at a time when he had $8,000 in his bank accounts, according to prosecutors.
Santos had written two articles for the South Shore Press, a local news outlet in New York, about his life in prison. In one article, he described being put into solitary confinement.
George Santos released from prison after Trump commutes sentence
Santos was released from prison Friday night, according to his attorney, Joe Murray. His family picked him up, Murray said.