On Friday, May 15, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis granted clemency to 44 individuals, including former Mesa County Clerk and prominent election denier Tina Peters.
Peters’ case began in 2021, when she facilitated unauthorized access to county voting systems during a routine software update. She allowed a computer expert affiliated with election denier and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to access the systems in an attempt to uncover evidence of voter fraud in Colorado. Confidential election data was later leaked online, resulting in a significant security breach of the state’s voting systems.
The former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder was later convicted in 2024 of three counts of attempt to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct, violation of duty elections and failure to comply with secretary of state requirements. Peters was sentenced to eight years and three months in the Colorado Department of Corrections, along with an additional six months in county jail for her role in the crimes.
Polis’ clemency action granted Peters with a commutation of her sentence, effectively reducing her jail time to only four years and four-and-a-half months.
“My decision today is based on the circumstances of your case alone. My decision is not to be
taken as a judgment on the wisdom of your convictions or a statement about any particular aspect of our criminal justice system,” Polis said in his letter to Peters.
Polis has faced pressure to pardon Peters from President Donald Trump for over a year, calling Peters an “innocent political prisoner” and pushing for her release from jail. Trump also granted Peters with a full federal pardon. However this was ineffective as Peters was charged and convicted under state law.
Local Colorado politicians and organizations have expressed their grievances in the wake of Polis’ commutation.
Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper posted on X on May 15, writing,“Tina Peters is guilty as sin and a disgrace to Colorado. She tried to undermine Colorado’s free and fair election system… Reducing her sentence sends the wrong message to those seeking to undermine trust in our elections and it will do nothing to deter Donald Trump’s illegal attacks on Colorado. I strongly disagree with this decision.”
Similarly, the Colorado County Clerks Association condemned Polis, and released the following statement: “This decision is shameful. It rewards criminal conduct connected to attacks on our election system, weakens confidence in accountability, and undermines the very institutions that protect the freedom to vote. Colorado voters deserve leaders who defend democracy, not leaders who legitimize efforts to damage it.”
In his clemency letter, Polis said his decision was influenced in part by concerns surrounding Peters’ sentencing and the role her political beliefs may have played in the punishment imposed by the court. Polis cited language from the Colorado Court of Appeals stating that “a court may not punish an individual by imposing a heavier sentence for the exercise of First Amendment rights,” arguing that Peters’ beliefs about election fraud should not have been considered in determining her sentence.
In the wake of his clemency actions, Polis released the following statement May 17 on Instagram: “I do what I personally believe is right, even knowing that in some instances these decisions can be unpopular. It is a power solely reserved for the governor to serve as a corrective against injustice, and therefore one that I take extraordinarily seriously.”
Peters is currently incarcerated at La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo. Her parole eligibility date is now set for June 1, 2026.
