US President Donald Trump said Friday he had commuted the sentence of former congressman George Santos, who is serving more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges.

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 Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey, on July 25 and is being housed in a minimum security prison camp with fewer than 50 other inmates.

“I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump posted on social media.

Santos had appealed to the Trump administration to intercede within hours of receiving his sentence, insisting in social media posts and interviews that it was overly harsh and politically motivated.

A prominent former House colleague, US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, also urged the White House to commute his sentence, saying in a letter that the punishment was “a grave injustice” and a product of judicial overreach.