Colorado Democrats running for governor slam Jared Polis for freeing Tina Peters

DENVER, COLORADO: Colorado Governor Jared Polis triggered political backlash on Friday, May 15, after announcing that he would commute the prison sentence of former county clerk Tina Peters, a prominent election denier convicted over a voting machine security breach tied to the 2020 election conspiracy movement.

Polis said Peters’ sentence would be reduced to four-and-a-half years, making her eligible for parole next month. The decision quickly drew criticism from Colorado Democrats, including figures reportedly considering runs for governor, who warned the move could embolden election denial efforts.

Jared Polis defends reducing Tina Peters’ prison sentence

During an interview with local TV anchor Kyle Clark, Polis defended the controversial decision while insisting that Peters was still guilty of breaking the law.

“She committed a crime. What’s an issue here is how long the sentence is,” Polis said.

The governor explained that he believed the sentencing hearing focused too much on Peters’ political views and public statements rather than strictly on the crime itself.

“I agree with the appeals court that in the sentencing hearing, the judge incorrectly looked at and considered her bizarre viewpoints, her speech, and held her speech against her,” he added.

Peters became one of the most high-profile figures in election conspiracy circles after she allowed unauthorized access to election equipment in an effort to search for evidence that the 2020 election had been stolen from Donald Trump.

Despite those efforts, no evidence of election fraud was ever found.

Polis made it clear that he strongly disagreed with Peters’ conspiracy theories but believed lengthy prison sentences should not be used to punish political beliefs.

“I don’t think that she’s remorseful for the opinions that she has or for belief in conspiracies,” Polis said. “Her beliefs are her beliefs. I vehemently disagree with much of what she has to say, certainly her conspiratorial beliefs.”

Tina Peters apologizes after sentence reduction announcement

As part of his announcement, Polis also shared a statement from Peters in which she admitted wrongdoing and apologized for her actions tied to the election equipment breach.

“I made mistakes, and for those, I’m sorry. Five years ago, I misled the secretary of state when allowing a person to gain access to county voting equipment. That was wrong,” Peters said.

She also claimed her time in prison had changed her perspective.

“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’ll avoid the mistakes of the past,” Peters continued.

Still, Polis stressed that he never considered giving Peters a pardon because he did not believe she showed true remorse for spreading conspiracy theories surrounding the election.

The governor argued that dangerous misinformation should be challenged publicly through facts and evidence rather than by imposing lengthy prison terms.

“The way to rebut those false claims was disputing her incorrect information and data. It’s not to lock somebody up because they believe something that is not only unpopular and incorrect, but also conspiratorial and potentially dangerous,” Polis explained.

In recent months, Donald Trump repeatedly demanded Peters’ release through interviews and social media posts, portraying her as someone who uncovered wrongdoing during the 2020 election.

The president claimed Peters had caught people cheating, even though no evidence supporting election fraud was found after the breach investigation.

Colorado Democrats and election officials condemn Tina Peters decision

The governor’s decision was quickly condemned by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who accused Polis of sending the wrong message about election security and accountability.

Griswold sharply criticized the commutation in a public statement, warning that it could energize election denial movements already spreading across the country.

“This clemency grant to Tina Peters is an affront to our democracy, the people of Colorado, and election officials across the country,” Griswold said.

“The Governor’s actions today will validate and embolden the election denial movement, and leave a dark, dangerous imprint on American democracy for years to come,” she added.

Griswold pointed out that Peters had been convicted on four felony charges by a jury in heavily Republican Mesa County after breaching her own election systems in search of evidence supporting false claims about the 2020 election.