National

Polis Commutes Tina Peters' Sentence After She Admits She ‘Made a Mistake'

By Andrew Stanton Newsweek
Election Security Colorado Clerk. Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, left, hugs Pastor Dave Bryan of the Church of Glad Tidings, who testified on Peters' behalf during a sentencing hearing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)
Election Security Colorado Clerk. Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, left, hugs Pastor Dave Bryan of the Church of Glad Tidings, who testified on Peters' behalf during a sentencing hearing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP) Larry Robinson AP

Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis on Friday commuted the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, following pressure from President Donald Trump, marking another case involving efforts to challenge the 2020 election.

The decision followed a statement in Peters' clemency application, obtained first by CNN from Polis' office, in which she said she "made a mistake" and acknowledged misleading Colorado election officials - her first such admission since her 2024 conviction.

Trump has championed Peters, a 70-year-old former clerk sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted for her role in a scheme to access and copy her county's election computer systems. She is expected to be released June 1.

In April, a Colorado appeals court ordered Peters to be resentenced, finding the judge had improperly considered her statements about election fraud when imposing the sentence, though it upheld her convictions.

Peters has been serving her sentence in a Pueblo prison since her 2024 conviction by a Mesa County jury.

Prosecutors said Peters allowed an outside expert linked to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to access election systems during a 2021 update, resulting in sensitive system data, including passwords, being posted online.

This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, left, hugs Pastor Dave Bryan of the Church of Glad Tidings, who testified on Peters’ behalf during a sentencing hearing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)
Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, left, hugs Pastor Dave Bryan of the Church of Glad Tidings, who testified on Peters’ behalf during a sentencing hearing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP) Larry Robinson AP

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 5:13 PM.

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