Colorado Governor Commutes Sentence of Former Clerk Tina Peters, Sparking Bipartisan Backlash

Governor Jared Polis of Colorado has announced he is cutting in half the prison sentence of a former Mesa County clerk, Tina Peters, allowing the 70-year-old Trump supporter to be released on parole by June 1. Peters was sentenced in October 2024 to nine years for orchestrating a 2021 security breach of her county’s election system in a search for evidence of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Under the governor’s clemency order, her sentence is now four years plus four and a half months, making her almost immediately eligible for parole.Mr. Polis, a Democrat, justified the Friday decision by arguing that the original sentence was improperly influenced by Peters’s vocal election conspiracy beliefs rather than only her actions. “She, because of her incorrect and unpopular speech, got an unduly harsh sentence,” he said in a statement.“This is an extremely unusual and lengthy sentence for a first time offender whocommitted nonviolent crimes,” the governor said. “However, he emphasized that the commutation is not an exoneration.“I’m not pardoning her. I publicly have said very early on I would not even consider a pardon. She’s a convicted felon. She deserves to be a convicted felon. She will remain a convicted felon,” he said.For her part, Peters admitted that she had done wrong.“I made mistakes, and for those I am sorry,” she said in a social media post. “Five years ago I misled the Secretary of State when allowing a person to gain access to county voting equipment. That was wrong. I have learned and grown during my time in prison and going forward I will make sure that my actions always follow the law, and I will avoid the mistakes of the past.“Upon release, I plan to do my best through legal means to support election integrity and based on my own personal experiences to elevate the cause of prison reform to help ensure the detention system is more fair and equitable for people of all ages,” she wrote. “My experiences have given me a perspective that I plan to share with others to improve Colorado’s corrections system. I am grateful for a second chance and an earlier release, and I look forward to doing good in the world.”The governor’s rationale aligned with a recent finding from the Colorado Court of Appeals, which noted that her sentence “was based in part on improper consideration of her exercise of her right to free speech.” The appellate judges said, “Her offense was not her belief, however misguided the trial court deemed it to be, in the existence of such election fraud. It was her deceitful actions in her attempt to gather evidence of such fraud.”Peters was convicted in August 2024 for allowing an unauthorized individual to use a stolen identity to access secure election equipment. The scheme was part of an effort to find evidence supporting unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Following the clemency announcement, President Trump posted on social media: “FREE TINA!”But the commutation drew fierce criticism from election officials and prominent Democrats. Colorado’s secretary of state, Jena Griswold, called the move “a gross injustice to our elections, election workers, and democracy, with far-reaching consequences. It is a dark day for democracy.”Attorney General Phil Weiser labeled the decision “mind-boggling.” In a written statement, Mr. Weiser said, “The judge imposed a reasonable sentence based on her criminal conduct; she has shown no remorse for her crimes, and now the governor is taking this unwise and unprecedented step of releasing her from prison early. Caving to this president will only lead to more abuse from the bullying Trump administration. Today is a sad day for Colorado and the rule of law.”Some Republicans are also outraged. Matt Crane, a Republican who leads the Colorado Clerks Association, said Peters’ early release “signals that it’s open season on our elections and election officials.” The association formally stated it was “furious, disgusted and deeply disappointed.”Despite the backlash, Mr. Polis stood by his decision. “I view my job as governor as one where I always try to do what’s right,” he said. “Ultimately, I believe people like me because I try to do what’s right. I try to do what’s right regardless of whether it’s popular and regardless of the politics of it.”

Colorado Governor Commutes Sentence of Former Clerk Tina Peters, Sparking Bipartisan Backlash

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