Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was released June 1 from La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo after serving 20 months of a nine-year sentence. Gov. Jared Polis commuted her sentence May 15, cutting it to four years and four and a half months, citing an April Colorado Court of Appeals ruling that the original sentencing judge had improperly used Peters’ public statements as an aggravating factor. Her felony convictions stand. She is not exonerated, and her appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court continues.
President Trump could not pardon her — his pardon power does not reach state convictions. Instead, he applied federal pressure: social media posts calling for her release, cutting Colorado water infrastructure funding, relocating U.S. Space Command to Alabama, and withdrawing an invitation to Polis for a White House governors’ meeting. Polis commuted the sentence May 15. The Colorado Democratic Party censured him six days later, 89.8%, barring him as a featured guest at party events. All six Democratic members of Colorado’s congressional delegation condemned the decision, and some called for impeachment. Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein — the Republican who prosecuted her — called it misguided.
Peters walked out under parole conditions that require her to find work or enroll in a full-time educational program, report to a Mesa County parole officer, get prior approval before changing her residence or leaving Colorado, enroll in cognitive behavioral therapy, take prescribed medications, and receive a mental health assessment. She is barred from possessing firearms or weapons and prohibited from using alcohol or drugs.
Twenty-five days after release, she took the stage at Freedom Fest at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock — a two-day event hosted by Rocky Mountain Voice, the media outlet founded by Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl. Other speakers included Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Fox News host Greg Gutfeld. Peters told the crowd, “If we don’t stand up and we don’t fight back now, what happened to me will happen to each one of you.” She called it “our 1776 moment.” Event weekend passes started at $195. Whether Peters received a speaking fee has not been reported.
Vice President JD Vance said before her appearance that it was “reasonable” for Peters to receive compensation from the taxpayer-supported Anti-Weaponization Fund, describing her offense as trespassing. On Thursday, Trump posted on social media asking his followers whether Peters should be compensated for what she went through. Her attorney says she is considering leaving Colorado.
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