Colorado Democrats censure Gov. Jared Polis for commuting election denier’s sentence


Colorado Democrats voted Wednesday to censure Gov. Jared Polis, a fellow Democrat, for commuting the prison sentence of an election denier who had been serving nine years in state prison for tampering with voting systems.

“Reducing her sentence now, under pressure from Donald Trump, is not justice,” the Colorado Democratic Party said in a statement. “It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences, unless you’re friends with the president. That’s a dangerous and disappointing precedent to set.”

Last Friday, Polis reduced former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters’ nine-year sentence, saying her term was disproportionate to the crime. Peters will be eligible for parole June 1.

The move sparked backlash from state and national Democrats.

The Colorado Democratic Party said in its statement Wednesday night that Polis’ clemency decision “does not reflect the values, institutional positions, or democratic commitments of the Colorado Democratic Party.”

Peters was convicted in 2024 of four felony and three misdemeanor charges related to a breach of voting systems in the county. She was alleged to have used another person’s security badge to grant access to someone associated with MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, a fellow election denier.

Peters has since said she “made mistakes” and was sorry for having participated in the breach.

Peters’ case had been one of the highest-profile among those of 2020 election deniers, and her release was championed by Trump, who symbolically pardoned her in December.

A state appeals court found last month that Peters’ sentence was improper and directed that she be resentenced.

Eric Maruyama, a spokesman for Polis, told NBC News in a statement that Polis “made his decision based on the facts of the case and what he believed was the right thing to do.”

“Sometimes the right thing isn’t the popular thing with everybody,” Maruyama said. “Democracy is strongest when disagreement is met with debate and dialogue, not censorship.”

Along with the censure, Polis will not be able to participate as an honored guest, speaker or officially recognized representative of the Colorado Democratic Party at party-sponsored functions, the party’s statement said.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Reeves to Set Out UK Cost of Living Plan to Cushion Iran Hit

    Reeves will not unveil any help on energy bills until at least October, when the energy price cap resets, which is a regulator-mandated limit on what suppliers can charge for…

    Oil Edges Up After Plunging on Optimism Over US-Iran Agreement

    (Bloomberg) — Oil inched higher after plummeting on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump said the US is in the “final stages” with Iran. Most Read from Bloomberg Brent neared $106…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    'Another six!' – Ecclestone has opening over to forget

    'Another six!' – Ecclestone has opening over to forget

    Hasbro cancel Dungeons and Dragons action game helmed by Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order director, leaving studio hunting for new publishing deal

    Hasbro cancel Dungeons and Dragons action game helmed by Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order director, leaving studio hunting for new publishing deal

    Ninja Just Launched an Even Bigger Slushie Maker for Summer Drinks, and I Tried It

    Ninja Just Launched an Even Bigger Slushie Maker for Summer Drinks, and I Tried It

    Trump may see himself in Ahmadinejad but having him lead Iran was a perplexing idea | Iran

    Trump may see himself in Ahmadinejad but having him lead Iran was a perplexing idea | Iran

    South Korea’s stock market soars as Samsung union calls off planned strike | Financial Markets

    South Korea’s stock market soars as Samsung union calls off planned strike | Financial Markets

    Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election are casting a shadow over Georgia’s GOP runoffs

    Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election are casting a shadow over Georgia’s GOP runoffs