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DENVER (KDVR) — Governor Jared Polis is contemplating a potential clemency decision for Tina Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk, who was found guilty due to her involvement in a 2021 breach of election security.
On Tuesday evening, Polis took to social media platform X to highlight the notable differences in sentencing between Peters and former Colorado State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis.
Earlier this year, on February 27, Lewis received a sentence of two years probation and was tasked with completing 150 hours of community service following an ethics investigation related to her staff management. In contrast, Peters is currently serving a nine-year prison term for her participation in compromising security at a local elections office after the 2020 presidential election.
Although the situations involve distinct cases with multiple charges for both Lewis and Peters, Governor Polis pointed out that both were convicted of the same crime: attempting to influence a public official.
On Feb. 27, Lewis was sentenced to two years of probation and 150 hours of community service after an ethics investigation regarding the treatment of her staff. Peters is serving a nine-year sentence in prison for her role in the security breach at her local elections office after the 2020 presidential race.
While the cases are separate and involve multiple convictions for both Lewis and Peters, Polis argues that they share a conviction for the same offense: attempting to influence a public official.
The post states:
“Last week, former State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was sentenced to probation and community service after being convicted of four felonies including Attempt to Influence a Public Official. She made a horrible mistake, and she was wrong. I hope she learns from this and can rebuild her life. As someone who has known Sonya as a friend for many years, on a personal level I was glad to hear she isn’t going to prison which is a hard place for anyone, no less a retired 68-year old pharmacist. But it is not lost on me that she was convicted of the exact same felony charge as Tina Peters attempting to influence a public official and yet Tina Peters, as a non-violent first time offender got a nine year sentence. Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly, you never know when you might need to depend on the rule of law. This is the context I am using as I consider cases like this that have sentencing disparities, which is why I have extended the deadline for clemency applications until April 3rd. I will be making decisions on these cases throughout the remainder of my governorship.”
This comes after President Donald Trump has frequently called for the release of Peters. Trump had even granted Peters a full pardon, although she was convicted of state charges.