Colorado governor shortens Tina Peters’ sentence for election tampering

By Liam Hibbert
The Center Square

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has shortened the prison sentence of former county clerk Tina Peters, convicted of election tampering related to the 2020 election.

The move follows months of pressure from President Donald Trump on the high-profile case, with Peters now eligible for parole on June 1.

“I believe based on the facts of the case that her sentence is simply disproportionate for a first time, non-violent offender,” Polis, a Democrat, wrote in a Facebook post sent to The Center Square. “It’s one of my bedrock beliefs that our laws should be applied fairly, and I simply do not believe that was what happened in this case. A three judge panel of the Colorado Court of Appeals agrees, ordering just last month that she be resentenced.”

Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison by a jury in October 2024 for helping an unauthorized person gain access to voting machines after the 2020 election, while acting as the Mesa County clerk. Information they learned about the machines was then given out publicly.

Peters said she granted illegal access to the voting machines to prove the 2020 election was rigged against Trump.

Polis’ Facebook post included a short apology from Peters, “Four years ago, I misled the Secretary of State when allowing a person to gain access to county voting equipment. That was wrong.”

In December, Trump granted Peters a largely symbolic pardon, as she was held in a Colorado state prison. The president can only issue pardons for federal crimes.

When asked for comment by The Center Square, the White House Friday forwarded a link to a social media post on Truth Social by Trump minutes after the clemency announcement that read, “FREE TINA!”

“The President has no standing to grant pardons for state level crimes just like I can’t grant pardons for federal crimes,” Polis said in his Facebook post. He added that he is not pardoning Peters because “she deserves to serve time in prison.”

In April, a Colorado Appeals Court upheld Peters’ case, but said the sentencing was too long and argued the sentencing judge at the time violated her freedom of speech.

“It hits a nerve for people on both sides of the aisle,” wrote Polis. “Some incorrectly feel that she did not commit a crime and should not have been convicted at all. Others see her as a symbol and want her to be in prison for as long as possible. Our legal system should not be based on symbols, politics and passions – it should be based on the law being applied fairly in every instance.”

Colorado Democrats criticized Polis’ decision.

“It’s a sad day for Colorado,” state Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a video on Facebook.

“She was sentenced for undermining elections, convicted by a jury. The judge found the right sentence,” said Weiser, a Democrat who’s running to succeed Polis, who’s termed out on Jan. 12, 2027.