Denver — He faces the Democratic governor of Colorado Pressure campaign This decision from President Donald Trump signals his openness to granting clemency to a former county employee who was convicted in a scheme that tried to find evidence of fraud in court. Presidential elections 2020.
A social post by Gov. Jared Polis brought a quick rebuke Wednesday from the state’s attorney general, the secretary of state and the association that represents local election officials, who said such action by the governor would send the wrong message to anyone seeking to interfere in elections ahead of this year’s midterms.
In office Tuesday, the governor compared the case of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who is serving a nine-year prison sentence, to that of a former state legislator who was recently sentenced to probation and community service after being convicted of one of the same crimes. Polis was echoing concerns he raised in January that the sentence for Peters, who has no criminal record, was “harsh”.
“Justice in Colorado and America should be applied equally, you never know when you might need to rely on the rule of law,” Polis wrote on the social media platform
Peters’ attorneys welcomed the governor’s comments and expressed hope they would result in her sentence being reduced to the roughly 17 months she has already served. They want her released from prison while they continue trying to overturn her conviction State Court of Appeals.
“It takes real courage,” said John Case, one of her lawyers.
He said he could not discuss whether he has had any conversations with the governor or his office about the pardon because he said the process is confidential.
Peters has become a hero to many who support Trump False allegations The 2020 elections were stolen from him, especially from those who were elected Pushing baseless conspiracy theories.
Trump threatened ‘Harsh measures’ Against Colorado unless the state releases Peters, and his administration cuts funding to the state.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat running for state attorney general, said Polis’ comments were “shocking and disturbing” and that he erred in drawing a comparison between Peters’ case and former state Sen. Sonia Jaquez Lewis. Lewis and Peters were both convicted of attempting to influence a public servant, but were also convicted of various additional crimes.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office helped prosecute Peters, said Peters has shown no remorse for her actions.
“Clemency should be based on remorse, rehabilitation and mitigating circumstances — not on political influence, favoritism or revenge,” Weiser, a Democrat running to succeed Polis, said in an email statement.
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, who hopes to replace Polis as governor, said Peters should not be pardoned or have her sentence commuted.
“Donald Trump may be seeking revenge against Colorado, but giving in to his political pressure will not make our state stronger or safer,” the Democrat said.
Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said there are few similarities between the Peters and Lewis cases.
“He seems to be holding himself back trying to find a way to reduce her sentence,” he said of the governor.
He also said he was concerned that releasing prisoners early could send the wrong message before this year’s midterm elections.
“The signal is that it’s OK to work to undermine our elections because, whether it’s President Trump or Jared Polis, you’re going to get a get out of jail free card,” Crane said.
In response, Shelby Wyman, a spokesman for Polis, said the governor was skeptical of Peters’ sentence compared to that of the former state lawmaker.
In contrast to some other Democratic governors, Polis, who prides himself on being a political maverick, took the job A tolerant attitude at times Towards Trump. As Trump came into office, Polis praised the idea of the Government Efficiency Administration, then run by billionaire Elon Musk, and the nomination of vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services.
He also criticized Trump’s stance on tariffs and immigration, among other issues.
Peters and Lewis were convicted of attempting to influence a public employee, a crime that involves using deception or threats to try to persuade a public employee to behave in a certain way.
Lewis was convicted of one count and three counts of forgery. Prosecutors said she forged letters of support in the midst of a legislative ethics investigation into whether she mistreated her employees. Her attorney, Craig Trueman, declined to comment on her case.
It was Peters He was convicted of state crimes For sneaking an outside computer expert into copying images of her county’s election computer system before and after it was updated by state officials in 2021. A photo and video of secret voting system passwords were later posted on social media and a conservative website. She said it was her job to preserve the information as a clerk.
Peters was found guilty of three counts of attempting to influence a public employee and one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, breach of duty, and failure to comply with requirements of the Secretary of State.
Peters’ lawyers said the judge violated her First Amendment rights by giving her a harsh sentence for making claims about election fraud. The judge called her a “charlatan” and said she posed a danger to society for spreading lies about voting and undermining the democratic process.
The appeals court justices appeared sympathetic to the free speech argument during oral arguments in January.