Governor Jared Polis commuted the sentence of former Mesa County election official Tina Peters in May, less than two years after she began serving a nearly nine-year prison term. Peters was convicted of state charges related to compromising secure voting equipment.
Peters, who served as a top election official, was found guilty of using her position to pursue former President Trump's claim that rigged voting machines affected the 2020 election. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, alleges Peters helped an unauthorized individual pose as a county employee, giving him access to secure voting equipment and allowing him to copy proprietary software. Griswold said Peters also ordered video surveillance cameras turned off, took images of voting equipment, and shared them with a network of election deniers. The breach was discovered when copies of the data surfaced at a conference where Peters spoke.
After refusing to cooperate with an investigation into the breach, Peters was charged with obstruction and later indicted on 10 criminal counts. Following a two-week trial in 2024, a jury found her guilty of three misdemeanors and four felonies. Mesa County District Court Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced Peters, stating, "You are no hero. You abused your position, and you're a charlatan." He added, "I'm convinced you would do it all over again if you could."
Former President Trump had focused on Peters' case, expressing his determination to see her freed by Governor Polis. Trump called Peters a "hostage" and a "patriot" and issued a pardon that had no legal effect, as her conviction was on state charges. He also criticized Colorado lawmakers, referring to Polis as a "weak and pathetic man" and a "sleazebag governor."
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser's office, which helped convict Peters, has filed a lawsuit against former President Trump, alleging a retaliation campaign against the state. Weiser, a Democrat, stated Trump is "using bullying, using threats to take away our sovereignty" and decided to punish Colorado because he disliked Peters' conviction and sentence. Weiser said, "We're fighting back."
Last year, while Colorado faced a severe wildfire, Trump promised "harsh measures" if Peters was not released. Subsequently, federal wildfire aid was denied, along with threats to withhold food aid, the cancellation of $109 million in transportation funding, and a move to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. A spokesperson for the Trump administration, Lauren Bis, stated, "There is no politicization to the president's decisions on disaster relief," describing these actions as independent agency decisions.
Governor Polis defended his decision to commute Peters' sentence, telling 60 Minutes he was "shocked" by the nearly nine-year term. He stated, "Look, she should've gotten a year, two years, three years." Polis described Peters as a "nonviolent, elderly, first-time offender" who received a longer sentence than appropriate. He denied "bending the knee to President Trump," despite critics questioning the timing as the state court system was already reconsidering Peters' sentence.
The Colorado County Clerks Association expressed strong disapproval, stating they were "furious" and "disgusted" by the commutation. Matt Crane, a Republican and director of the association, called it "a complete betrayal of the election community" in the state.
Since her release, Peters has returned to the election denial circuit, attending events like the Fraud Fighter Summit in Las Vegas, appearing on Alex Jones' streaming show, and meeting with former President Trump at the White House. When asked by 60 Minutes in August, Peters remained unapologetic, arguing that the ends justify the means and questioning the trustworthiness of voting machines. She stated that records "wiped from the system" were cleared as part of a routine system update, with all required election records backed up by her staff, according to Crane.
Secretary of State Griswold and Matt Crane have expressed concern that Peters' actions, coupled with former President Trump's support, have harmed voter confidence in election workers and the election system, fueling distrust and making election workers targets for threats and intimidation.
Federal funds that had been delayed are now flowing to Colorado, including $47 million for water projects and approved federal wildfire aid.
