The Democratic governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, commuted the sentence of former election official Tina Peters, convicted of manipulating electoral systems after the 2020 presidential election, in a decision that sparked strong criticism from Democratic leaders and defenders of electoral integrity in the United States.

Peters, 70, known for promoting conspiracy theories about alleged election fraud in 2020, had been sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty in 2024 for allowing illegal access to voting equipment in Mesa County, Colorado. The former official will be released on June 1 after Polis' decision.

The move came after months of public pressure from President Donald Trump, who turned Peters' case into a political banner and repeatedly demanded his release. The president published the message on his Truth Social network: “FREE TINA!”, shortly after the governor's official announcement.

In the commutation letter sent to Peters, Polis acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes committed, but argued that the original sentence was disproportionate. "The crimes for which she was convicted are very serious and she deserves to spend time in prison for these offenses. However, this is an extremely unusual and lengthy sentence for a first-time offender who committed non-violent crimes," the governor wrote.

The decision comes weeks after a Colorado appeals court ordered a review of the conviction, finding that Judge Matthew Barrett improperly punished Peters for his public statements about electoral fraud, protected by the First Amendment. Although the court upheld the criminal convictions, it determined that the sentence should be reconsidered.

Peters became an iconic figure in the election denial movement after working with Trump allies to access Dominion Voting Systems' voting system during a software update in 2021.

For her part, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the decision “a dark day for democracy” and accused the governor of giving in to Trump's political pressures.

“Selling out our state's justice system in favor of Trump is an affront to the rule of law,” Griswold declared. He added that “a clear message is being sent to those willing to break the law and attack democracy in the name of the president: they will likely face no consequences for their actions.”

The case of Tina Peters has become one of the most notable examples of Trump's political support for figures linked to false narratives about electoral fraud after his defeat in 2020.