Colorado Governor Commutes Sentence of Former Election Clerk Tina Peters
Governor Jared Polis has commuted the prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, reducing her term and granting parole effective June 1, 2026.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced on Friday the commutation of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters' prison sentence, reducing her term to four and a half years and granting parole effective June 1, 2026.
Peters was convicted in 2024 on multiple charges, including attempting to influence a public servant and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, after allowing unauthorized access to county voting equipment in 2021.
Governor Polis stated that the original nine-year sentence was "very unusual for a first-time nonviolent offender."
The commutation has drawn criticism from state officials. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold described the decision as "a gross injustice to our elections, election workers, and democracy with far-reaching consequences."
Attorney General Phil Weiser called the commutation "mind-boggling and wrong as a matter of basic justice."
President Donald Trump, who had previously advocated for Peters' release, celebrated the commutation by posting "FREE TINA!" on Truth Social.
Peters expressed remorse for her actions, stating, "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."