The FEC Can Still Hold George Santos Accountable

On October 23rd, 2025, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) sent a letter to Federal Election Commission (FEC) Commissioners Shana Broussard and Dara Lindenbaum urging them to hold former Rep. George Santos accountable for his brazen, admitted violations of federal campaign finance laws.

As an independent agency, the FEC has civil enforcement authority to pursue violations of federal campaign finance laws. In light of President Donald Trump's commutation of Santos’ criminal sentence, the FEC can still fulfill its duty and provide accountability in this matter.

Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at Campaign Legal Center, issued the following statement: 

“Commuting the sentence and restitution obligations of former Rep. George Santos — who was expelled from Congress, convicted of defrauding his campaign donors, sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, and ordered to pay more than $370,000 in restitution to the people he defrauded — undermines government accountability and threatens to further erode public confidence in our democracy. 

"Despite President Trump’s commutation, the Federal Election Commission, as an independent agency capable of enforcing civil complaints, can still hold him accountable. By enforcing federal campaign finance laws, as outlined in CLC's 2023 complaint against Santos, the FEC can show voters and the public at large that there are consequences for candidates who enrich themselves at the public’s expense.”