Democratic governor under fire over clemency for 2020 election denier
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is facing criticism from fellow Democrats after commuting the prison sentence of former county clerk Tina Peters, a 2020 election denier convicted of tampering with election equipment.
Police who previously described Peters nine years in prison On Friday, which he described as “harsh”, he announced that he would be released on parole in June.
Colorado’s top elections official and Secretary of State Jena Griswold called it “an affront to our democracy,” while some warned it could encourage efforts to undermine confidence in future elections.
Immediately following the announcement, President Donald Trump, who had been pushing for her release for months, took to social media to say “FREE TINA!” he wrote.
Peters, a Republican, was convicted in August 2024 on seven felonies for his role in breaching Mesa County’s election computer systems and allowing an unauthorized person to access voting equipment and election records.
He committed the breach amid false claims that mass voter fraud caused Trump to lose the White House in the 2020 presidential election.
The case has become one of the most high-profile investigations linked to Trump’s attempts to challenge the 2020 election results, which he falsely claimed were stolen from him.
Peters expressed regret for his actions in a statement to the BBC through his lawyer on Saturday.
“I made mistakes and I’m sorry for them,” Peters said in part. “I learned and grew during my time in prison, and going forward I will always ensure that my actions comply with the law and avoid the mistakes of the past.”
Arguing for Peters’ commutation of sentence, Governor Polis argued that although he had committed a crime, “his sentence was disproportionate for the first time, he is a non-violent offender.”
“Obviously, I do not forgive Tina Peters and have never considered doing so,” police wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.
“Tina Peters violated state law and broke the public trust by lying to the Secretary of State and illegally accessing a computer room ahead of a software update in 2021,” police said. he said. “His actions were clearly illegal, wrong, and financially costly to Mesa County and Colorado.”
“It’s one of my core beliefs that our laws should be applied fairly, and I don’t believe that’s what happened in this case,” he added.
But many of his fellow Democrats didn’t see it the same way.
Colorado Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper wrote of X: “I strongly disagree with this decision.” “Reducing his sentence sends the wrong message to those who want to undermine confidence in our elections and does nothing to deter Donald Trump’s illegal attacks on Colorado.”
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, called the move “truly mind-boggling.” “This mitigation decision is wrong and an affront to the rule of law,” he said.
Other Democrats moved to criticize the decision, including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, New York Rep. Joe Morelle, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow and others.
Several Republicans are also angry about the change.
Matt Crane is a Republican and executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association. He said he was “outraged, disgusted and deeply disappointed by the Governor’s decision.”.
“Governor Polis is kneeling in the face of the same political forces and conspiratorial movements that actively undermine confidence in our democratic institutions,” he said.
Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert praised the decision, calling it “great news” and “an overdue step toward justice,” respectively.
