Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commutes Tina Peters' prison sentence

[demmiblue]

DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) commuted the sentence of Tina Peters on Friday afternoon.

The former Republican Mesa County Clerk was serving a nearly nine-year sentence for her role in allowing unauthorized access to her county's election equipment in an attempt to uncover election fraud.

Polis commuted her sentence to four-and-a-half years and said she would be eligible for parole next month. Before Polis' commutation, Peters' earliest parole date would have been March 2028.

Peters has been at La Vista Correctional Facility since April 16, 2025. She served six months in Mesa County jail before that. She has served about 17 months so far.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/jared-polis-tina-peters-prison-sentence/73-a289e9ba-7cd0-47d0-8d68-bdabc3f87847

JFC.

Will just reiterate that in the many years I covered Polis closely, he never showed particular interest in the topic of over-sentencing, nor in criminal justice reform generally. This decision would read a lot differently if Polis had any sort of record as an advocate for clemency.

— Alex Burness (@burness.bsky.social) 2026-05-15T20:57:54.362Z

[SheltieLover]

1. Sickening

[Takket]

2. OH FUCK OFF

BULL FUCKING SHIT

This moron was committing felonies to push the BIG LIE for drumpf and POLIS commutes her sentence?????? WTF IS WRONG WITH HIM????????????????? ONE EFFING PERSON pays the price for trying the steal the election. ONE! And............. fucking hell i'm outraged........

Does Colorado have recall elections for governors?

Polis is term limited and can't run again. so a recall means nothing. he should be expelled from the Democratic party.

[Biophilic]

3. Damn. There just is no justice. Damn!

[Chasstev365]

4. Yes because if the shoe was on the other foot, I'm sure that's what a Republican governor would do.

[Takket]

6. drumpf has his FBI raiding the offices of Democrats in VA.......

and our spineless worthless pathetic mother effing piece of shit CO Governor is flopping around like a limp noodle for MAGA.

[Bristlecone]

5. Fuck him. Right in the ear.

Spineless little prick.

[Mysterian]

7. Pieces of shit stick together

Republicans support election fraud.

[RockRaven]

8. Fuck you, Polis.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

9. This is a big mistake

This lady is a true nut case who is convinced that her conspiracy theories are correct and cannot conceive that other people do not buy her bullshit

Link to tweet

I do not practice criminal law, but I was not aware on the concept that one could avoid prison if they needed a special "magnetic mattress"

Link to tweet

[republianmushroom]

10. JUSTICE ?? I suppose, well maybe ?

Our justice system have become a political joke. IMO
Can't do the time don't do the crime.

[bluestarone]

11. Jesus Christ!!

Last edited Fri May 15, 2026, 06:12 PM - Edit history (1)

We just gotta continue destroying OURSELVES!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! I hope the fuck she CANNOT get her clerk job back. She did say she's not sorry and would do the same thing again.

[ColoringFool]

12. ToS.

[demmiblue]

15. Meh.

[ColoringFool]

24. I Don't Really Care, Either. I Find It Amusing As Hell, In Fact, As To...

What passes muster anymore.

[oasis]

13. Maybe Peters will get a share of the 1.7 billion

slush fund dollars Trump is rewarding the J6 insurrectionists.

[GoodRaisin]

28. Count on it.

[Chasstev365]

14. Does Polis really think Republicans will say, "Gosh; what a great guy for doing that."

Also; aren't you encouraging others to cheat with this move right before the critical Mid-Terms?

I don't understand this at all.

[edbermac]

17. Went over to Twitter

The MAGAts are all saying she should sue for false imprisonment. And she probably would.

[Fil1957]

16. This is the kind of crap that's been killing the Democratic party brand for years. No backbone, rolling over and

playing dead, as if that's going to attract voters. It doesn't. It demoralizes the base and invites disrespect from others. It sends the message that the party is weak. And most Americans despise weakness.

And if Polis thinks he or the party will get any points or favors from Trump or the Republicans for this, he is living in a world of fantasy.

As Churchill said regarding Chamberlain's appeasement to Hitler: "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war."

Our party leaders just don't understand the gravity of this historical moment. They're still living in 1985. This is depressing and demoralizing.

[madamesilverspurs]

18. Unbefuckingdamnlievalbe!

And I voted for the guy.

Sheeeyut.

.

[mountain grammy]

19. Governor Polis is a decent and sympathetic man..

He is compassionate and believes in humanity..

Tina Peters is a sociopath and should serve her whole term.. Polis ries to see her humanity, but she has none.

This was bound to happen becuase of who Polis is..

[Ars Longa]

20. This is Cowardice and Capitulation and surrender!!!!

Polis is done politically!!!

[mountain grammy]

27. I don't think he cares

Pretty sure he has no further ambitions.

[hatrack]

25. If this is who he is, then we're in more trouble than I thought . . .

This is a stupid, stupid move.

Let's encourage the freaks and thugs and flat-earthers by showing them that Democrats, as well as Orange Julius Caesar, will let them off the hook.

Let's pat them on the head and tell them that subverting an election, like beating cops and trashing the Capitol, isn't that big a deal.

Crime away, Trumpers! Crime away! Have at it!

[mountain grammy]

26. I agree it's stupid

But that’s who he is. I wrote several letters and emails saying what you said . The woman belongs in prison, but I knew he would do it.

[hatrack]

30. It reminds me of Jeff Daniels in the opening of "The Newsroom":

"If liberals are so awesome, how come they lose so Goddamned always?"

Moments like this provide one example of why.

[DET]

21. Why did he do this?

I don’t know the man and have no insight into his reasoning. Whatever his motives, I strongly disagree with his decision.

[MustLoveBeagles]

22. FFS

[spanone]

23. K&R

Republicans are worse then the

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. This is a dumb move

My governor has gone full Fetterman, and we have no idea why. We sane people in Colorado would like to apologize for believing this asshole would stick to his beliefs after elected.
But now he's leaving so his true colors are showing.🤷‍♂️

Never go full Fetterman...

— Roger ZenAF 🖕🐸🖕 (@rogerzenaf.bsky.social) 2026-05-16T15:57:42.800Z

[Initech]

31. Fucking coward!!!

This is some bullshit! NO, do not listen to Trump or his bullshit mass media garbage. Tina Peters belongs in prison and should stay there. Fuck her. Fuck Trump.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

32. MaddowBlog-JD Vance points to Tina Peters as someone deserving of a taxpayer-financed check

The vice president’s comments reinforced concerns that the new fund exists to send taxpayer money to Donald Trump’s favorite criminals.

JD Vance’s argument that Tina Peters deserves a taxpayer-financed check confirms what seemed obvious:

The new slush fund is a vehicle to send money to Trump’s favorite criminals.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-05-20T15:54:42.728Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jd-vance-points-to-tina-peters-as-someone-deserving-of-a-taxpayer-financed-check

It’ll be a while before Americans learn who, exactly, will get checks from the Trump administration’s $1.7 billion fund, but JD Vance pointed to someone specific whom he sees as worthy of a taxpayer-financed check.

JD Vance cites Tina Peters as an example of someone who's receive a payout from Trump's new taxpayer-funded J6 slush fund

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-05-19T17:50:56.920Z

“Tina Peters is this woman who is about to get out of prison, thanks in large part to [Donald Trump’s] good work in Colorado,” the vice president told reporters at a White House briefing. “This is a woman who, at worst, if you believe everything that the prosecutor said about her, committed misdemeanor trespassing and somebody threw the book at her.”

...But to fully appreciate the inanity of Vance’s pitch, we have to dig deeper. To hear the vice president tell it, Peters is entitled to “some compensation” from a so-called anti-weaponization fund (condemned by critics as a “slush fund”) because of the way she was treated during the Biden administration.

What the vice president either didn’t know or didn’t acknowledge, however, was that the Biden administration had literally nothing to do with Peters’ case: The Coloradan faced state charges, in a state court. Her indictment was brought by a state prosecutor (who, incidentally, is a Republican). She was sentenced by a state judge and sent to a state prison. Her sentence was ultimately commuted by her state’s governor (who, incidentally, is a Democrat).

That Peters would get a check from the federal government, from a fund ostensibly created to address federal abuses, reinforces rather obvious concerns that this fund has nothing to do with righting wrongs and everything to do with sending taxpayer money to Trump’s favorite criminals.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

33. MaddowBlog-Colorado's Polis faces bipartisan pushback after commuting Tina Peters' sentence

The governor had plenty of time to come up with a defense for his decision. The fact that he pitched transparent nonsense points to an awkward conclusion.

Colorado’s Jared Polis had plenty of time to come up with a coherent defense for his Tina Peters decision.

The fact that he pitched transparent nonsense suggests that he really did succumb to Trump’s extortion efforts, but he’s reluctant to say so.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-05-18T19:41:34.610Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/colorado-jared-polis-tina-peters-backlash

At the outset, for example, Polis, who’s nearing the end of his second and final term, said Peters “did not commit any crimes regarding the 2020 elections.” When I heard this, I initially thought he simply misspoke, but he proceeded to repeat the claim several additional times in the same interview.

This was quite odd. The whole point of Peters’ crimes was that she was trying to substantiate false and conspiratorial claims about the 2020 election. For the governor to repeatedly tell a national television audience that her crimes were entirely unrelated to the 2020 race was bizarre.

But then he went further, telling Collins:

[Peters] has very strange beliefs. She’ll probably continue to have them. We don’t punish people in this country for having strange beliefs. … And that’s what happened here because, of her speech and what she believes, which I vehemently disagree with, and I share the passion and the emotions that so many people feel, who are outraged by the words she says. But the place to resolve those differences is by debate, by discourse, by arguing with her, with by disputing her. Not for keeping her behind bars, simply because of what she believes or says.

I don’t understand what it is that the governor doesn’t understand. No one has ever suggested that Peters should be imprisoned because of her very strange beliefs. Rather, many in both parties have argued that Peters should be held accountable because of all the felonies she committed.

This isn’t complicated. Conspiracy theorists are free to believe what they wish. It’s a free country. But when officials start using their offices to violate the public trust, literally breaking laws to advance their conspiracy theories, that’s qualitatively different....

Peters had her day in court and presented a defense. She also showed no remorse for all the felonies she committed. Her conviction, secured by a Republican prosecutor, was a no-brainer.

Polis had plenty of time to come up with a defense for his decision. The fact that he pitched transparent nonsense suggests that he really did succumb to Donald Trump’s extortion efforts, though the governor was reluctant to say so.

[SunImp]

34. Was he bribed?