Former Colorado election clerk Tina Peters publicly apologized Friday after Jared Polis commuted her prison sentence following months of pressure from conservatives and President Donald Trump.
In her first public statement following the commutation, Peters acknowledged wrongdoing and admitted she “misled the Secretary of State” by allowing unauthorized access to county voting equipment five years ago.
Read more: Who is Tina Peters and what did she do?
What did Tina Peters say after her sentence was commuted?
“I made mistakes, and for those I am sorry,” Peters wrote in a statement posted to X. “That was wrong. I have learned and grown during my time in prison and going forward I will make sure that my actions always follow the law.”
Peters also condemned threats and political violence tied to her case, including online calls from supporters to “storm” the prison where she was incarcerated. “I condemn any and all bullying, threats and acts of violence against voters, county clerks, election workers, and other public officials,” she added.
She further revealed her plans following her release. Peters wrote, “Upon release, I plan to do my best through legal means to support election integrity and based on my own personal experiences to elevate the cause of prison reform to help ensure the detention system is more fair and equitable for people of all ages.”
In her statement, Peters said her time in prison had changed her outlook and that she now plans to focus on prison reform alongside election-related activism.
“My experiences have given me a perspective that I plan to share with others to improve Colorado’s corrections system,” she wrote. She also thanked Polis for giving her “a second chance and an earlier release.”
Read more: ‘Tina Peters next’: After George Santos, MAGA base seeks to free ex-county clerk
Why was Tina Peters sentenced to prison?
Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, became nationally known after being accused of facilitating unauthorised access to election system data following the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden.
Prosecutors said Peters allowed an individual associated with election conspiracy theories to access secure voting equipment during a software update process in 2021. Images and data from the county’s voting systems were later leaked online and circulated among election fraud activists, the Guardian reported.
Peters had long claimed she was attempting to preserve evidence of alleged election irregularities. This is despite repeated findings from courts, election officials and independent audits that there was no evidence of widespread fraud affecting the outcome of the 2020 election.
As part of an ongoing campaign to disseminate misleading information regarding the 2020 election, Trump frequently asked Polis to pardon Peters. He granted Peters a federal pardon earlier this year, but since she was found guilty of state offenses, it had no influence on her case.
In 2024, a jury convicted Peters on three counts: first-degree official misconduct, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty, and failure to comply with the Secretary of State. She received a nine-year prison sentence.
Following Trump’s repeated threats to withhold money from Colorado, Polis hinted in March that he was thinking of granting Peters some sort of mercy before her granted a commute to Peters on Friday.
