DENVER — Disgraced former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters will have her nine-year sentence for tampering with Colorado's election systems cut in half after Gov. Jared Polis told Denver7 Friday he was granting her clemency — a move Colorado’s top election official warned will embolden further election denialism in the state.
The governor’s decision to commute Peters’ sentence comes after a Colorado Court of Appeals judge ruled in April her original sentence should be thrown out because her conviction was based, in part, on improper consideration for Peters’ right to free speech.
WATCH: Denver7 anchor Jessica Porter breaks down Tina Peters' clemency announcement in the video player below.
“I never considered pardoning her, to be clear,” Gov. Polis told Denver7 anchor Jessica Porter earlier Friday. “She committed a crime, deserves to be a convicted felon, deserves to do the time. But what happened – and I agree with the appeals court – she has unpopular, and, in my opinion, incorrect opinions. Those should not be a factor in her sentencing. Her sentencing should be about the crime she committed, which people should also understand. It had nothing to do with the presidential election.”
Peters was convicted in August 2024 of first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, failure to comply with requirements of the Secretary of State, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, and three counts of attempt to influence a public servant. In all, she was found guilty on seven state charges, four of which are felonies. Prosecutors said she was motivated by false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
As part of her clemency, Peters will also be released on parole starting June 1, according to the letter explaining Polis' decision.
Though the governor’s decision is somewhat surprising, Polis had repeatedly dropped hints that he was moving toward commuting Peters’ sentence — even as he faced a bipartisan push to keep Peters imprisoned despite ongoing pressure by the Trump administration to move Peters into federal custody.
Following his State of the State address, the governor told Denver7 he was considering clemency for Peters, as he does with countless other cases every year. Two months later, Polis again signaled he was considering clemency for the disgraced former county clerk after extending a deadline for clemency applications.
WATCH: Why did Polis commute Tina Peters' sentence? Denver7 anchor Jessica Porter explains the governor's reasoning in the video player below.
Polis said that in her application for clemency, Peters admitted she had made a mistake and that she will follow the law going forward. During her sentencing, Peters was unapologetic and insisted that everything she did was geared toward trying to fix a system she believed was ripe with election fraud. She further claimed her actions were done for the greater good.
“I don't expect her to change what she believes, I don’t want her to lie about what she believes,” Polis said when asked whether he believed Peters had shown any remorse for orchestrating a security breach of her elections computer system in Mesa County. “She's free to go out there and be a person on the street talking about whatever conspiracy she wants to her heart's desire, but that should not be a factor in the sentencing for the crime that she committed. And four-and-a-half years is a tough, but also fair, sentence for that crime.”
Colorado election officials "furious, disgusted and deeply disappointed" by Polis' decision
Colorado's top election official minced no words upon learning of Peters' commutation.
In a statement to Denver7, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said the governor's decision to grant Peters clemency was "an affront to our democracy, the people of Colorado, and election officials across the country."
Calling the decision a "gross injustice to our elections, election workers, and democracy with far-reaching consequences," Griswold said the governor's actions will not only validate and embolden the election denial movement, but will leave "a dark, dangerous imprint on American democracy for years to come."
Polis granting clemency to Peters sends a clear message "to those willing to break the law and attack our democracy for the president that they very likely will not face consequences for their actions," Griswold said during a virtual call with reporters Friday.
"The Colorado Clerks Association is furious, disgusted, and deeply disappointed by the governor's decision," said Matt Crane, the executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association. "Tina Peters deserves the accountability imposed through Colorado's judicial system, and the governor should have, at the very least, respected that process and allowed it to fully play out before intervening.”
Crane said that by undermining the judicial system, Polis sent "a reckless and dangerous message to the public, to election officials, and to anyone entrusted with safeguarding our democratic institutions."
He also said that granting clemency to Peters "rewards criminal conduct connected to the attacks on our election system, weakens confidence in accountability, and undermines the very institutions that protect the freedom to vote.”
In January, Griswold and officials from the Colorado County Clerk’s Association urged Polis not to pardon or commute Peters, writing in a letter to the governor that doing so “would send the demoralizing message to those of us who protect our elections and democracy – our county clerks, their staff, election judges, and Secretary of State staff – that our work is meaningless.”
Polis did not directly respond to those concerns Friday, only saying he was "very proud" of election integrity in Colorado, and that, ultimately, "it's absolutely the freedom of people to talk about" election conspiracy theories, which he argued was not the crime Peters committed.
"She should never have been convicted in the first place"
Among those surprised by the governor's decision? Peters' own defense attorney, who had no idea Peters' sentence had been commuted by the governor.
"Oh, thank God. Okay. Thank God. Oh, thank God. Thank you," said Peter Ticktin when Denver7 political reporter Colette Bordelon broke the news of Peters' commutation. "I'm overwhelmed. Governor Polis did the right thing."
When asked if he believed Peters should have received a full pardon instead of a commutation, Ticktin told Denver7 Peters "should never have been convicted in the first place," describing her trial as a "kangaroo court."
Ticktin added he was grateful Polis recognized that Peters' sentence was harsh. "It was nine years, so they basically gave her a life sentence,” he said.
WATCH: Denver7 political reporter Colette Bordelon breaks down reaction from elected officials in Colorado following the governor's decision in the video player below.
Peters' attorney disagreed with the sentiments aired by several Colorado Democrats, including Griswold, that Polis was bowing to Trump's demands when making this decision.
“He's standing up to the people that are, really, the powerful ones in Colorado, that were — that are — threatening him and doing the right thing. That takes guts," said Ticktin.
News of Peters' commutation quickly reached the White House, with President Donald Trump posting to his Truth Social platform a call that has since become a rallying cry for many Colorado Republicans: "FREE TINA!"
Earlier this year, Trump issued a presidential pardon for Peters, but in its ruling last month, the Colorado Court of Appeals reiterated what legal experts have previously said — presidential pardons do not apply to state convictions. Peters has appealed her conviction at both the state and federal levels, seeking recognition of Trump's pardon as grounds for her release.
While that issue plays out in court, Crane, of the Colorado County Clerks Association, only had scathing words for the governor.
"There is no escaping the significance of this moment. This is now Governor Polis' legacy," Crane said. "He will not be able to run from it, nor redefine it later when given the opportunity to stand firmly for the rule of law, for the integrity of Colorado elections, and for the public servants who defend them.”
WATCH: Denver7 reporter Claire Lavezzorio breaks down what led up to this point and what happens next in the video player below:
Prior coverage:
- Tina Peters found not guilty of assault in prison scuffle, guilty on lesser violation
- 'Lean into that value of mercy': Governor Polis explains consideration of clemency for Tina Peters
- Gov. Jared Polis signals openness to clemency for Tina Peters in X post
- Tina Peters involved in 'incident' with fellow inmate at La Vista Correctional Facility
- Colorado Sec. of State urges Gov. Polis not to pardon Tina Peters after he suggested a potential commutation
- President Trump tells Governor Polis to "rot in hell" over Tina Peters' incarceration
- Tina Peters asks Colorado appeals court to recognize Trump's pardon, release her from prison
Denver7 anchor Jessica Porter and Denver7 political reporter Colette Bordelon contributed to this report.
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