Dem cuts election denier Tina Peters' sentence in half

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis granted clemency to jailed election-denying former county clerk Tina Peters, reported CNN on Friday, cutting her sentence from 9 years to 4 1/2 years.

The move would make her eligible for parole in just under a month from now, due to the time she has already spent behind bars.

Peters, the former clerk of Mesa County, was convicted of tampering with election equipment as part of a plot to prove the 2020 presidential election was rigged against President Donald Trump.

Polis had hinted he would consider clemency for months now, over the outrage of other state officials, arguing her sentence was significantly longer than other people convicted under the same charges, under the condition she publicly apologize for her actions.

Peters stated on Friday, “I made a mistake four years ago. I misled the secretary of state when allowing a person to gain access to county voting equipment. That was wrong. Going forward, I will make sure that my actions always follow the law.”

Even before the clemency, a state court had ruled she must be resentenced, arguing that the trial judge improperly considered her political beliefs at sentencing in violation of the First Amendment.