Colorado Governor Jared Polis took executive action on Friday to reduce the prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. Peters, a central figure in the movement to challenge the results of the 2020 election, was originally sentenced to nine years in prison following her conviction on multiple felony counts. The governor’s decision effectively cuts that term in half, bringing her total time to be served to approximately four years and four months.
The clemency comes after months of intense public pressure from Donald Trump and the broader election denial movement. Trump has repeatedly targeted Colorado officials and characterized Peters as a “political prisoner.” In one specific instance, on social media, Trump went as far as to threaten “harsh measures” against the state of Colorado if Peters was not granted her freedom. Despite this significant reduction in her time behind bars, Governor Polis was careful to distinguish this act from a full pardon, maintaining that Peters remains a convicted felon.
In August 2024, a jury found Peters guilty of allowing an unauthorized person—affiliated with MyPillow founder Mike Lindell—to access Mesa County’s sensitive voting systems. These actions were part of an effort to find evidence for baseless claims of fraud following the 2020 presidential election. Her convictions included official misconduct and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation. Despite the legal findings, Peters has shown no public signs of remorse. Just last week, her supporters released a letter she reportedly wrote to Trump in which she continued to promote conspiracy theories and described her incarceration as that of a “political prisoner.”
Governor Polis addressed the distinction between his grant of clemency and a total exoneration in a statement to the press. “I’m not pardoning her,” Polis told The Colorado Sun. “I publicly have said very early on I would not even consider a pardon. She’s a convicted felon. She deserves to be a convicted felon. She will remain a convicted felon.” By commuting the sentence rather than pardoning her, the governor ensures that the legal consequences of her actions remain on her permanent record while significantly shortening her physical stay in the correctional system.
