Colorado governor commutes Trump ally Tina Peters' prison sentence

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday announced he is commuting the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was facing more than eight years in state prison for allowing unauthorized access to voting machines following the 2020 presidential election. Polis' decision — which was swiftly condemned by other Colorado Democrats — follows months of pressure from President Trump to release Peters, who has promoted Mr. Trump's false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. The president had threatened "harsh measures" if Colorado did not free Peters from prison. Tina Peters, left, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Mesa County Sheriff's Office / Polis has said for months that he would consider granting clemency to Peters, but he gave no indication about a timeline for such an action. On Friday afternoon, the governor made the announcement by sending out a news release stating he is granting pardons and commutations to 44 people, including Peters. Peters will be granted parole, effective on June 1, according to Polis. The decision does not wipe away her conviction. Peters was convicted last summer on seven counts , including attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and official misconduct. Prosecutors have alleged that in 2021 , Peters and others "devised and executed a deceptive scheme" to cause an unauthorized person to access Mesa County voting machines. Images from the county's voting equipment later showed up online. …