Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) commuted the nearly nine-year prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters in May 2025 following what critics described as a pressure campaign by the Trump administration. Peters had been convicted of state charges related to breaching voting machine security. While the White House denied any link between funding decisions and Peters, Colorado officials cited social media posts from the president demanding her release.
Peters was indicted in 2022 on 10 criminal counts after allowing an unauthorized person to access secure voting equipment and copy proprietary software. In 2024, a jury found her guilty of four felonies and three misdemeanors. Mesa County District Court Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced her to nearly nine years, describing her as a "charlatan" who abused her office. President Trump, who referred to Peters as a "hostage" and a "patriot," issued a federal pardon for her in May 2025, though it had no legal effect on her state-level convictions.
During the summer of 2025, the Lee fire scorched 138,000 acres in Colorado. The Trump administration initially denied Governor Polis' request for a federal disaster declaration, a move Polis said had not occurred in decades. According to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D), the administration also canceled $109 million in transportation funding, threatened to withhold food aid, and moved to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis stated there was "no politicization" in the decisions.
Governor Polis stated he commuted the sentence because he believed nine years was excessive for a nonviolent, first-time offender, suggesting one to three years would have been more appropriate. However, Matt Crane, head of the Colorado County Clerks Association and a Republican, characterized the move as a "betrayal," alleging the governor "bent the knee" to the president. The commutation occurred while the court system was still in the process of reconsidering Peters' sentence.
Since her release, Peters has met with the president at the White House and continues to appear at events challenging election machine security. In an August interview, she remained unapologetic, stating she was authorized to protect election records. Federal funding for Colorado has since resumed, including the release of $47 million for water projects and the approval of federal wildfire aid in September 2025.
The commutation and the events preceding it affected Colorado residents who rely on state infrastructure and disaster relief. The denial of federal aid for the Lee fire impacted property owners like Kathleen Kelly, whose 2,000-acre ranch was largely destroyed. The administration also temporarily froze $109 million in transportation funds and $47 million in water projects, and threatened to withhold food assistance benefits.
Matt Crane, a Republican election official, noted that high-profile support for Peters fueled a climate of intimidation against election workers across the state. Residents noticed these effects through the loss of structures in the wildfire, delays in road and water improvements, and the eventual release of a convicted official who had served less than two years of a nine-year term.
The resolution of these funding disputes means that federal disaster relief and infrastructure dollars are again flowing to Colorado as of late 2025. While the legal proceedings against Peters are concluded due to the commutation, the state’s lawsuit against the administration regarding sovereignty remains an avenue for legal clarification.