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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted the prison sentence of former county clerk Tina Peters, a case that has drawn national attention from President Donald Trump and revived arguments over election administration and clemency decisions. Polis said Peters would be released June 1, according to a letter he sent her, and he framed the change as an adjustment to what he called an unusually long punishment for a first-time, nonviolent offender.
The commutation followed a prior appeals court ruling earlier this year that upheld Peters’ conviction but ordered that she be resentenced. Polis praised that appellate decision in the Associated Press report and subsequently commuted her sentence on Friday, with the governor’s office emphasizing the seriousness of the underlying crimes while faulting the length of the term.
In his letter to Peters, Polis wrote that she was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, but he added that “this is an extremely unusual and lengthy sentence for a first time offender who committed nonviolent crimes.” The governor also wrote that Peters’ application “demonstrates taking responsibility for your crimes, and a commitment to follow the law going forward.”
The announcement immediately triggered criticism from other Colorado officials. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said it was “a dark day for democracy” and that Polis was “selling out our state’s justice system for Trump” in a way she described as an “affront to the rule of law.” Griswold said the decision sent “a clear message” that people who break the law and attack democracy would likely not face consequences.
Trump’s public involvement remained a central part of the political reaction. The Associated Press reported that Trump posted “FREE TINA!” on his Truth Social platform around the time of the announcement, and it said the president had championed Peters’ case even though Peters was convicted of state, not federal, crimes—meaning Trump’s federal pardon power did not directly apply. The Associated Press also reported that Trump had repeatedly attacked the Colorado officials involved, including Polis and the Republican district attorney who prosecuted Peters.
A key question in the dispute is how Peters’ conduct was characterized and what role her plea for clemency played after the appeals court decision. The Associated Press reported that Peters’ case stemmed from her conviction in 2024 by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump, following a scheme in which Peters was convicted for making a copy of her county’s election computer system.
According to the report, Peters allowed an outside computer expert—an associate of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell—to gain access to the county’s Dominion Voting Systems election computer server as state officials updated it in 2021. The Associated Press reported that after Peters joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” promising to reveal proof of election rigging, videos and photos of the upgrade, including passwords, were posted online.
After the commutation, Peters issued a statement through her attorney thanking Polis and apologizing. In the Associated Press account, Peters said, “Five years ago I misled the Secretary of State when allowing a person to gain access to county voting equipment. That was wrong.” She added that she had “learned and grown during my time in prison,” and said she would ensure her actions “always follow the law.”
The decision also drew responses from political figures within Colorado. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat running for governor, said he “vehemently disagreed” with the commutation, arguing that Peters knowingly broke the law, undermined elections, and was convicted by a jury. Bennet said “Lawlessness only breeds more lawlessness,” and argued that with Trump continuing to attack Colorado, elected leaders must stand strong for institutions and the rule of law.
Republican candidate for governor state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer said she would have preferred the trial judge revisit Peters’ sentence as ordered by the appeals court before Polis considered any commutation. In a statement, Kirkmeyer wrote that “a commutation or pardon by a governor should be reserved for truly extraordinary circumstances,” adding that the governor has a responsibility to apply justice “fairly, consistently, and without bias.”
The Associated Press report also included details about Peters’ health and legal history during incarceration. Peters’ lawyers said her health declined in prison, and the account cited her 2017 lung surgery and allegations including frequent coughing after the prison’s heating system was turned on for winter, along with chronic pain from fibromyalgia. The report also said Peters was found not guilty of assault after a scuffle with another inmate, following a prison disciplinary hearing, and that she was found guilty of being in a location without authorization.
Polis said earlier this year he was considering clemency, calling Peters’ sentence “unusual and harsh” for a first-time, nonviolent offender, and he repeated those arguments in a lengthy post on the social media platform X. In a post on Friday, he defended the commutation by saying, “I’ll always stand for free speech and to make sure that we live in a country that no matter what your viewpoints are, you are not incarcerated longer because of them.”
The Colorado County Clerks Association weighed in as well, saying the commutation signaled that election officials could face consequences. Matt Crane, executive director of the association, said the decision “signals that it is open season on our election and election officials,” and he criticized Polis as bending to political voices and conspiracy theories that, he said, undermine belief in democratic institutions.