Arrested, George Santos used a column in a local newspaper to ‘move’ Trump

Without citing the articles, Trump stated that Santos “was a bit ‘dishonest'” but was being “mistreated” in jail. “George has been in solitary confinement for long periods and, by all accounts, has been terribly mistreated,” he wrote.

In the article asking for forgiveness, the former congressman stated that Trump “has always been a man of second chances”. “A leader who believes in redemption and renewal. I ask you now, from the bottom of my heart, to extend that same belief to me.”

For almost a year, Santos has written a column in The South Shore Press —which continued even after he was arrested—, according to the New York Times. The newspaper covers Suffolk County, on Long Island, in the state of New York.

Before asking for forgiveness, the former deputy described his precarious conditions inside the prison. He described a “punch in the gut” when he saw his own reflection in a prison uniform and lamented poor conditions such as mold on the ceiling and insufficient air conditioning for the New Jersey summer.

In his third week in prison, Santos described that prison was not a suitable place to stay. “It looks like a temporary warehouse rather than a permanent facility,” he said.

He was also surprised to discover that he was staying in the same dorm as a former campaign advisor, Samuel Miele. Like Santos, Miele pleaded guilty to wire fraud in court, admitting that he used his position to charge donors’ credit cards without their permission.