Colorado May Face Federal Trouble for Disciplining Election Official

Calls for Investigation into Colorado Officials Over Tina Peters’ Case

Conservative organizations are urging the federal government to investigate Colorado officials for their role in the imprisonment of Tina Peters, who expressed skepticism about the 2020 election.

In a letter sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Article III Project accused state officials of targeting Peters, a former county clerk and ally of President Trump, due to her political beliefs. They noted that she was punished for leaking voting machine data in 2021. In 2024, Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced her to nine years in prison for both a felony and a misdemeanor related to sharing this data with political associates investigating election fraud allegations.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15, and she is set to be released soon.

“Governor Jared Polis’s decision to commute Tina Peters’ sentence is a significant move toward justice,” tweeted Rep. Lauren Boebert, who highlighted Peters’ background as a Gold Star mother and advocate for election integrity.

The Article III Project emphasized in their letter to Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, that the evidence suggests Colorado officials colluded to punish Peters unconstitutionally for her protected views on election integrity. They requested an investigation into the actions of Barrett, Attorney General Phil Weiser, District Attorney Dan Rubinstein, Secretary of State Jenna Griswold, and any possible co-conspirators.

Earlier, the Colorado Court of Appeals determined that Barrett’s ruling considered Peters’ right to free speech improperly, ordering her to pursue a countersuit. Polis echoed this sentiment in his letter explaining the commutation, stating that Barrett’s considerations should not have factored into the sentencing decision.

Rubinstein defended the prosecution, asserting that Peters was indicted by a grand jury before the alleged crime, tried fairly, and found guilty based on evidence in open court. “The Colorado Court of Appeals has already concluded she received a fair trial,” Rubinstein noted, clarifying that while her sentence was commuted, she remains a convicted felon who was rightly held accountable.