A Colorado judge called Tina Peters a "charlatan" and put her in prison for nine years.
Trump spent a year dismantling Colorado piece by piece until the Governor blinked.
She walks out June 1 – and her own supporters don't know what to make of what she said.
Tina Peters Apology Statement Stuns Conservative Supporters After Commuted Sentence
Tina Peters is the former Mesa County Clerk who let a Mike Lindell associate copy her county's Dominion election server during a 2021 software update.
She said she was preserving evidence of fraud. Colorado prosecutors called it a crime and put her in front of a jury.
That jury convicted her on four felonies and three misdemeanors in 2024 – and Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced her to nine years, with parole eligibility not until 2028.
Colorado Democrat Governor Jared Polis cut her sentence to four years and four and a half months Friday – enough, with time served, to put her on parole June 1.
The moment he signed the order, Peters released a statement through her attorneys – the first time since her conviction she admitted any wrongdoing at all.
"Thank you Governor Polis," she wrote. "I made mistakes, and for those I am sorry. Five years ago I misled the Secretary of State when allowing a person to gain access to county voting equipment. That was wrong. 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."
She also condemned "any and all bullying, threats and acts of violence against voters, county clerks, election workers, and other public officials."
Conservative X lit up within seconds.
"A coerced prisoner's confession," one supporter wrote. "It's okay, Tina. We know the truth. You did what you had to do to get out of there. Nobody can fault you for that."
"I'm sorry you had to make this BS statement to be free," posted another. "You did NOTHING wrong. America is so happy for you."
"You gotta do what you gotta do," wrote a third. "But once your chains are off, I hope you remain true to yourself."
Not one of her supporters took the statement at face value.
Peters closed with one sentence nobody missed.
"Upon release, I plan to do my best through legal means to support election integrity," she wrote.
Colorado Court of Appeals Struck Down Peters Nine Year Sentence on First Amendment Grounds
Barrett sentenced her to nine years and tore into her from the bench while doing it.
"You are no hero," Barrett said. "You're a charlatan who used, and is still using, your prior position in office to peddle a snake oil that's been proven to be junk time and time again."
A Colorado Court of Appeals panel saw something different.
In a 77-page opinion issued April 2, the court upheld her conviction – but reversed her sentence, ruling Barrett had violated Peters' First Amendment rights by punishing her for speech, not just conduct.
"The trial court obviously erred by imposing sentence at least partially based on Peters' protected speech," Judge Ted Tow wrote.
The judges found that Barrett's own words revealed his intent – the sentence was designed, at least in part, to stop Peters from espousing views he deemed damaging, not solely to punish what she had done.
Polis used that ruling to act Friday, moving her release more than two years ahead of schedule.
Trump posted two words on Truth Social: "FREE TINA!"
Jared Polis Clemency Order Exposes Sentencing Disparity Democrats Never Explained
Polis called Peters' original sentence "unduly harsh" and said her "incorrect and unpopular speech" drove a punishment beyond what her conduct alone warranted.
Trump made him say it.
The administration yanked federal funding across the state, shut down the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, denied wildfire and flood disaster relief, and moved U.S. Space Command out of Colorado Springs to Alabama.
Trump called Polis "a Scumbag Governor" and said Colorado was "suffering a big price."
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said he "vehemently disagreed" with the commutation. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold – the same Democrat who tried to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot – called it "a dark day for democracy."
What neither of them mentioned: Democrat state senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis drew a conviction on the same felony charge Peters faced – attempting to influence a public official – and left the courthouse with probation and community service.
Peters got nine years. The Democrat got probation.
A 70-year-old Gold Star mother with no prior criminal record was serving nine years while a Democrat state senator walked out on probation – and Jena Griswold called that justice.
Peters walks free June 1. Her attorneys have already petitioned the Colorado Supreme Court to overturn the conviction entirely. Whatever she said in that statement Friday, she made the next move clear – and Jena Griswold isn't going to like it.
Sources:
- Jasmine Baehr, "Tina Peters sentence commuted by Gov. Polis as Griswold slams decision," Fox News, May 15, 2026.
- Reuters and Daily Wire News, "Blue State Governor Commutes Prison Sentence of Pro-Trump Election Official," The Daily Wire, May 15, 2026.
- Josh Christenson, "Jailed Trump ally Tina Peters, who tried to reverse 2020 results, granted clemency by Colorado's Dem governor," New York Post, May 15, 2026.
- Associated Press, "Colorado Court Orders Resentencing for Former County Clerk in Election Fraud Scheme," April 2, 2026.
