Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) announced Friday he is granting clemency to Tina Peters — the former election official convicted for her role in a voting system breach — cutting her sentence and making her eligible for parole as soon as next month.

The move marks a dramatic and controversial intervention in one of the most closely watched election interference cases to emerge after the 2020 election — and comes after months of sustained pressure from President Donald Trump and his far-right allies to secure Peters’ release.

“We condemn Governor Polis’ clemency grant. It is a gross injustice to our elections, election workers and democracy with far-reaching consequences,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) said in a statement. “This is a dark day for democracy.”

  • Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    “She got a sentence that was harsh. It was a 9 year sentence,” Polis said in March.

    It actually wasn’t harsh though. MAGA is just pretending like it was because they’re pissed that one of them had to face any kind of consequences for their criminal behavior. The maximum penalty allowed by statute for each count she was convicted on was double what she actually got. Despite her showing absolutely zero remorse or contrition, the judge still gave her half the sentence they could have.

    I can’t imagine why Polis would ever think pardoning her was a good idea, but I suspect he’s looking ahead to when he leaves office next year, and this is the beginning of his heel turn into becoming a right-wing grifter.

  • lemmylump@lemmy.world
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    Pollis is a pile of shit and should forever be known for helping election fraud and not upholding the law, and continues to finish his term as a maga cocksucker.

    God damn billionaires, they all should be ripped of their wealth and power.

    Nobody earns a billion dollars. Nobody.

  • JailElonMusk@sopuli.xyz
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    What a fucking travesty of justice.

    Being alive in 2026 is like watching a snuff film starring Lady Justice.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      These mother fuckers destroy the justice system and then get angry about violence. The justice system exists to as an alternative to violence. If it fails, what option is left? It might be on purpose, because then they can crank up the heat on oppression through force.

  • Jessica@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    “She got a sentence that was harsh. It was a 9 year sentence,” Polis said in March. “So we always look at people’s sentences. And when you have people that are elderly, and we’re looking at this across a number of many people — people in their 70s or 80s in our system — how much of a threat to society are they and how do we balance that in a way that makes sure they can spend their last year few years at home?”

    Fucking pathetic. If given the chance, she would do it again.

    Another spineless dem. Who could have seen that coming?

    • frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io
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      79 year old Trump is the biggest threat to our country I’ve ever seen. Unless the Governor was planning to put her in a locked dementia ward, she shouldn’t granted clemency because now she can go encourage others to emulate her.

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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      1000 bucks says she going do it again with Trump blessings. I thought treason came with the death plenty? 9 years was to fucking light of a sentence.

        • Weydemeyer@lemmy.ml
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          It signals to Trump that if he squeezes Democratic governors hard enough and with the right leverage, they will give him whatever he wants

          Yeah yeah Polis says he wasn’t pressured but if you believe that I have a mountain in Colorado to sell you.

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          Depending on the terms of her probation, fraternizing with felons could be a violation, and I know a 34 time felon that she’s probably going to want to hang out with haha. Beyond that, her sentence is commuted and there isn’t anyone able to stop it once Polis signs the paperwork.

    • spongebue@lemmy.world
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      Up until Polis mentioned he’d need to see repentance. Then she suddenly found Jesus and realized she was an itty bit sowwy for what she did

  • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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    Super lame. Seems like Polis caved to the pressure Trump was putting on him. Always shitty to see the bad guys win.

  • faelem@leminal.space
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    She committed treason against the democracy of the US. Pretty sure the penalty for that is worse than 9 years…

  • NekoKoneko@lemmy.world
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    Sure, it’s easy to want to imprison fascist criminals for their crimes, because of those fancy words you know, justice, and deterrence, or they will take away your right to vote and execute you as soon as they have the power to do so for not being a reactionary psychopath like them.

    But, what if…maybe if we don’t imprison the fascists when they try to stage a coup and discard democracy? There’s a chance like… uh. Wait, hold on. They’ll just… I think, there’s you know, a possibility… Like if they’re old. It…maybe it’ll…improve the general…situation.

    I’m Jared Polis and I approved this message.