Crime deserves punishment, not well wishes

By Larry Persily

Years ago, while Juneau friends were house hunting in Washington state, they left their middle school son with me for the weekend. The instructions were easy: Only one bowl of sugared cereal and pay attention to homework.

The kid outsmarted his parents on the one-bowl rule for Frosted Mini Wheats. He pulled a large mixing bowl from the cupboard instead of a much smaller cereal bowl.

Not a crime, but certainly going rogue at the breakfast table.

At dinner one night, the kid was explaining to me his lack of academic achievement. He took a break from the spaghetti to hold out his arms in an expressive pose and said: “I’m a slacker. I’m OK with that. My parents just need to get used to it.”

They never really got used to it, but they were patient and years later he had graduated from college, gotten a great job, is married with two kids and is a really good father.

They pardoned his juvenile behavior as he grew into a productive adult.

I, too, put my parents through some stressful years. An episode of shoplifting (I was caught), copying answers for a high school test (not caught), and playing cards more than reading English assignments (lost money).

But they, too, commuted my sentences for past sins when I managed a college scholarship and actually graduated on time, though it was iffy until a dean signed off on a waiver. Seems I had a problem passing the required Spanish class.

Neither my friends’ son nor I were great role models for anyone, but we never stole any money, lied to the public, lied to Congress, illegally claimed unemployment benefits, defrauded campaign donors or pleaded guilty to federal charges of identity theft and wire fraud.

Former New York Republican Congressman George Santos did all that — certainly an overachiever in the dishonesty category.

But as good as he was at making up lies — in addition to stealing money from donors, he lied during his 2022 election campaign that his mother had been inside the World Trade Center during the September 2001 terrorist attack and that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors— he was a slow learner: It took him nine months after his U.S. House colleagues voted by an almost 3-to-1 bipartisan margin to expel him from Congress before he cut a plea deal with prosecutors.

He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple crimes and was ordered to pay nearly $600,000 in fines and restitution. 

He was sentenced in April 2025, went to prison in July, and went home last week with a presidential commutation tucked under his arm.

“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,” President Donald Trump said in a 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!”

The attorney for the dishonest politician — Santos, not Trump — said his client’s family picked him up for the ride home. I’m surprised Trump didn’t send a government car to pick up the “rogue” former member of Congress. Nothing should be too good for someone who receives presidential well-wishes for a great life.

 “At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Trump added to his social media post announcing the get-out-of-jail card.

The only word in the president’s statement that should have mattered is “conviction.”

• Larry Persily is the publisher of the Wrangell Sentinel, where this column first appeared.