Former election clerk Tina Peters released after Trump pressure campaign

Former Colorado election clerk Tina Peters has been released from state prison after receiving clemency from Governor Jared Polis. Peters was sentenced to nine years for allowing unauthorized access to voting machines in Mesa County to investigate unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. Her release followed a pressure campaign by Donald Trump, who had previously pardoned her on federal charges, though federal clemency does not apply to state convictions. Governor Polis stated the sentence was disproportionate for a first-time, non-violent offender, but critics, including Secretary of State Jena Griswold, argue her release sends a dangerous message and emboldens election denial. Immediately after her release, Peters continued to spread false claims about election fraud.

Tina Peters, a former Colorado elections clerk convicted for her role in a scheme related to 2020 election conspiracy theories, has been released from prison. Her nine-year sentence was commuted by Colorado Governor Jared Polis in May, after a pressure campaign from former President Donald Trump. Peters served less than a quarter of her sentence. She was convicted in 2024 of multiple crimes, including attempting to influence a public servant and conspiracy, for allowing an unauthorized expert to copy a county's voting system server, which fueled false claims of election rigging. While Trump championed her case, he could not pardon her due to the conviction being under state law, leading him to pressure Governor Polis. The Colorado Secretary of State criticized the commutation as detrimental to the state's justice system.

Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was released from prison after Colorado Governor Jared Polis commuted her sentence. Peters, who was convicted of election interference for allowing an unauthorized person to copy her county's voting server, served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence. President Donald Trump had pressured Governor Polis to commute Peters' sentence, which Polis did on May 15, citing the sentence as unusually lengthy for a first-time non-violent offender. Peters' release has been criticized by Colorado's Secretary of State, who stated it would embolden election deniers.