On Thursday, mere hours after President Donald Trump commuted his prison sentence, convicted scammer and self-described “Former congressional Icon! 💅🏼” George Santos felt the warm sun on his dermal filler and made a triumphant return to Cameo.
Santos became something of a sensation on the custom video-sharing platform after his expulsion from the US House of Representatives in 2023. He generously dished dirt on closeted gay Republicans, did something resembling singing a Taylor Swift song, and motivated his patrons to “live life, laugh, and let the haters hate.” This scrumptious stream of content poured from the former New York City representative until this past July, shortly before he pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft charges and got slapped with a seven-year prison sentence (of which he served three months). His trial revealed that he’d raked in about $400,000 in earnings from Cameo alone—surely a handsome pay raise from his stint in public service.
Before he went to prison, Santos charged a humble $250 per custom video. He appears to have adjusted these rates for inflation—or tacked on a convicted felon premium—with rates starting at $300 as of Monday morning. Santos’ drag persona, Kitara Ravache, also seems to have made a comeback on the platform: Clips on that profile are available for $750 a pop. (We wonder where all that money is going, since it certainly doesn’t appear to be feeding any sort of wig budget.)
The haste with which Santos revived his Cameo presence suggests that he is gearing up for a characteristically ostentatious return to public life. His profile on the platform remains largely the same—his quality guarantee “to add a touch of Santos sparkle” to all commissions, the specification of his zodiac sign (Leo, to nobody’s surprise)—save for one enthusiastic, foreboding addition: “I’m back!!!”
