Democratic governor under fire over clemency for 2020 election denier

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Colorado's Governor Jared Polis is facing criticism from fellow Democrats after commuting the prison sentence of former county clerk Tina Peters, a 2020 election denier convicted of tampering with election equipment.

Polis, who previously described Peters' nine-year sentence as "harsh", announced on Friday that she would be released on parole in June.

Colorado's top election official and Secretary of State Jena Griswold called it "an affront to our democracy", while some others warned it could embolden efforts to undermine confidence in future elections.

Moments after the announcement, President Donald Trump, who for months has pushed for her release, wrote on social media: "FREE TINA!".

Peters, a Republican, was convicted in August 2024 on seven counts for her role in breaching Mesa County's election computer systems and allowing an unauthorised individual to access voting equipment and election records.

She carried out the breach amid unsubstantiated claims that mass voter fraud had caused Trump to lose the White House in the 2020 presidential election.

The case became one of the most high-profile prosecutions connected to attempts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 election, which Trump falsely claimed had been stolen from him.

In a statement shared with the BBC through her lawyer on Saturday, Peters expressed remorse for her actions.

"I made mistakes, and for those I am sorry," Peters said, in part. "I have learned and grown during my time in prison and going forward I will make sure that my actions always follow the law, and I will avoid the mistakes of the past."

Defending his commutation of Peters, Governor Polis argued that while she did commit a crime, her "sentence is simply disproportionate for a first time, non-violent offender".

"To be clear, I am not pardoning Tina Peters, and I have never considered a pardon," Polis wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.

"Tina Peters violated state law and broke the public trust by lying to the Secretary of State and illegally accessing a computer room in 2021 prior to a software update," Polis said. "Her actions were clearly illegal, wrong, and financially costly to Mesa County, and Colorado."

"It's one of my bedrock beliefs that our laws should be applied fairly, and I simply do not believe that was what happened in this case," he added.

But many of his fellow Democrats did not see it the same way.

"I strongly disagree with this decision," Democratic Senator of Colorado John Hickenlooper wrote on X. "Reducing her sentence sends the wrong message to those seeking to undermine trust in our elections and it will do nothing to deter Donald Trump's illegal attacks on Colorado."

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, called the move "truly mind-boggling". "This commutation decision is wrong and is an affront to the rule of law," he said.

Other Democrats have jumped in to criticise the decision, including Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, New York Representative Joe Morelle, Colorado Representative Jason Crow, and others.

A few Republicans too are angry over the commutation.

Matt Crane, a Republican and the executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was "furious, disgusted, and deeply disappointed by the Governor's decision".

"Governor Polis is bending the knee to the same political forces and conspiracy movements that are actively undermining confidence in our democratic institutions," he said.

Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert praised the decision, calling it "great news" and "long-overdue step toward justice", respectively.