Colorado Gov. Polis commutes Tina Peters' election-tampering sentence after Trump pressure campaign

On Friday, May 15, 2026, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted the nine-year prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, ordering her release on parole effective June 1, 2026 -- a reduction that cuts roughly half of the sentence she had been serving since her 2024 state conviction for tampering with election equipment. Peters had been found guilty of helping make an unauthorized copy of her county's election-management computer in coordination with election-denial figures around MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell; because the offense was charged and tried in state court, it sat outside the reach of the federal pardon power.

The commutation followed a months-long public pressure campaign by President Donald Trump aimed at securing Peters's release. The campaign included personal attacks on Polis (whom Trump publicly called "Scumbag Governor"), the disinvitation of Polis from a White House governors' meeting, the announced ending of federal programs in Colorado, denials of federal disaster aid, and the announced dismantling of the National Center for Atmospheric Research alongside the relocation of U.S. Space Command out of the state. Trump repeatedly demanded Peters's release on Truth Social, including with the post "FREE TINA!". Because clemency for a state offense could come only from the state's governor, the federal pressure was directed at Polis.

The decision drew sharp condemnation from Colorado election and law-enforcement officials. Secretary of State Jena Griswold called it "a dark day for democracy" and "an affront to the rule of law"; Attorney General Phil Weiser and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet also criticized the commutation. Colorado County Clerks Association executive director Matt Crane warned that the move "signals that it is open season on our election and election officials." Roughly 90% of the Colorado Democratic Party's State Central Committee voted on May 20 to censure Polis over the commutation; Polis publicly defended the decision on free-speech grounds on May 21.