Overview
- Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk convicted in 2024 for an election-system breach, had her prison term cut roughly in half Friday, with parole to start June 1.
- The Colorado Court of Appeals last month upheld her convictions but ordered resentencing after finding the trial judge improperly factored Peters’ election-related speech into punishment.
- Polis emphasized this is a commutation, not a pardon, and said Peters will remain a convicted felon even as she leaves custody.
- Peters’ case stems from 2021, when she let a man tied to Mike Lindell access county voting equipment, and passwords and system images later appeared online, forcing the county to replace machines.
- Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and county clerks denounced the decision as likely to embolden election denialism, while President Trump posted “FREE TINA!” and had long pressed for her release, which Polis said did not influence him.