DENVER, Colo. — Gov. Jared Polis appears to be signaling that he is open to granting some form of clemency to Tina Peters, as he extends the deadline for such applications.
- Watch News5's coverage below:
In an X post on Tuesday, Polis cited sentencing disparities between former State Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, who was sentenced to probation, and the former Mesa County election clerk Peters, who was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Both former elected officials faced separate cases and were convicted of multiple felony counts, including attempt to influence a public official.
Peters, who is pleading for clemency after a failed presidential pardon, was found guilty on seven state charges, four of which are felonies. She was convicted of orchestrating a data breach scheme based on false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
By contrast, Lewis was convicted of four felony counts for sending fraudulent letters of support to the Colorado Senate Ethics Committee, which was looking into claims she mistreated her employees.
Polis highlighted these differences in his post, stating, “It is not lost on me that [Lewis] was convicted of the exact same felony charge as Tina Peters, attempting to influence a public official, and yet Tina Peters, as a non-violent first time offender, got a nine year sentence.”
Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the governor sent Scripps News Denver the following statement:
“The Governor has expressed skepticism around this inmate’s sentence and was noting the difference in sentencing for two people, both public officials, with the same charge. Governor Polis is not considering a pardon for Tina Peters, and is reviewing her application like anyone else applying for clemency.”
This isn't the first time the governor has expressed this sentiment.
In January, Polis told reporters after the State of the State address that he believes Peters' sentence is too harsh, a view echoed by an appeals court the day before.
- Watch News5's coverage from January below:
Polis said at the time, “I think that her sentence is unusual and harsh with a first time offender, nonviolent offender gets. There were remarks similarly in the courtroom yesterday, and that's something that we weigh along with the other factors.”
Polis said he is extending the deadline for clemency applications until April 3 as he, “Will be making decisions on these cases throughout the remainder of my governorship.”
Meanwhile, Peters claims that the state judge who sentenced her to nine years behind bars violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her for making allegations about election fraud.
During Peters’ October 2024 sentencing, Judge Matthew Barrett called Peters a “charlatan” and said she posed a danger to the community for spreading lies about voting and undermining the democratic process.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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