Colorado governor’s clemency for Tina Peters triggers Democratic backlash

Colorado Governor Jared Polis commuted the nine-year prison sentence of Tina Peters, a Republican former Mesa County clerk convicted in 2024 of tampering with election equipment, announcing she would be released on parole in June. Polis said the sentence was disproportionate for a first-time, non-violent offender and stressed he is not pardoning Peters. The move drew sharp criticism from fellow Democrats, including Secretary of State Jena Griswold and Attorney General Phil Weiser, who called it an affront to the rule of law and democracy; some Republicans praised it. Peters apologized for her actions, which related to a breach tied to unfounded claims of 2020 election fraud that sought to undermine the presidential outcome.