Colorado Secretary of State, County Clerks urge Polis not to pardon Tina Peters
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and the Colorado County Clerk Association have sent a joint letter to Governor Jared Polis urging him not to pardon or commute the sentence of Tina Peters.
Tina Peters is a former Mesa County clerk who is currently behind bars for tampering with voting machines after the 2020 election. President Trump pardoned Peters back in December, which has sparked various legal questions on whether the President can pardon someone convicted of state crimes.
Many state officials in Colorado agreed that the President did not have the authority to pardon Peters, with Governor Jared Polis saying the following:
“Tina Peters was convicted by a jury of her peers, prosecuted by a Republican District Attorney, and in a Republican county of Colorado, and found guilty of violating Colorado state laws, including criminal impersonation. No President has jurisdiction over state law nor the power to pardon a person for state convictions. This is a matter for the courts to decide, and we will abide by court orders.”
Peter's lawyers will appear in court today, Jan. 14, to try to convince state officials to overturn her conviction.
Both Griswold and the Colorado County Clerk Association say that if Governor Polis decides to pardon or commute Peters's sentence, it would put the "public trust in democracy at risk."
They go on to say that Peters has "taken no responsibility for her actions and has shown no remorse" and that "her actions have been repeatedly used to spread conspiracy theories, amplify falsehoods, and fuel dangerous election lies. "
The full letter sent to the Governor can be read below:
Governor Polis,
We write to you to ask that you do not pardon Tina Peters or commute her sentence.
In 2021, then-Clerk Tina Peters coordinated the breach of her own election equipment in the nation’s first public elections insider threat. Tina Peters granted unauthorized access to her county’s voting equipment, and in doing so she placed the security of Mesa County elections – and public trust in democracy – at risk.
Peters was found guilty of seven felonies and misdemeanors by a jury of her peers, in conservative Mesa County. Today, she remains one of the only people to face real accountability for attacking American elections. She has taken no responsibility for her actions and has shown no remorse.
The harm caused by Tina Peters has spread well beyond the borders of Mesa County. Her actions have been repeatedly used to spread conspiracy theories, amplify falsehoods, and fuel dangerous election lies. This in turn has increased the threats to election officials and election infrastructure across our state.
Releasing Tina Peters via pardon or commutation would validate her actions and embolden election denialism in Colorado and across the country. It would send a loud message to those who would attack our elections and democracy that they too may have immunity. It also would send the demoralizing message to those of us who protect our elections and democracy – our county clerks, their staff, election judges, and Secretary of State staff – that our work is meaningless.
Caving into the demands of a vengeful President does not make our state or country better off; it encourages more vengeance. Please stand with us on the right side of history by upholding Colorado’s laws and our democracy.
Sincerely,
Jena Griswold
Colorado Secretary of StateHayle Johnson
Jackson County Clerk & Recorder and Chair, Colorado County Clerks AssociationMatt Crane
Executive Director, Colorado County Clerks Association
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