A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has faced a backlash from fellow Democrats since commuting the prison sentence of former county clerk Tina Peters, who was involved in 2020 election denial claims. Last night, party activists voted to censure Polis, a symbolic but clear rebuke. Bente Birkeland from Colorado Public Radio reports.
BENTE BIRKELAND, BYLINE: In 2024, former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters was sentenced to nearly nine years in prison for actions that helped an outsider get access to voting machines during a software update. It was part of an effort to promote false claims the 2020 election was rigged against President Trump. A state appeals court upheld her conviction but said the judge improperly sentenced her, not just for her crimes, but for her election denial beliefs. Democratic Governor Jared Polis said the sentence violated her constitutional rights and ordered her released from prison June 1.
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JARED POLIS: I think she's going to say nutty things. I think she's, you know, going to believe in different things that are demonstrably false. But that's not a crime in our country.
BIRKELAND: Polis' commutation came after a monthslong pressure campaign from Trump, who cut state funding and called Peters a political prisoner. But Colorado officials from the Republican prosecutor to election clerks have objected. And the state Democratic Central Committee, in a meeting via Zoom and on YouTube, voted with nearly 90% to censure him. Party member Pam Espinoza (ph) said Polis' decision could undermine future elections.
PAM ESPINOZA: Particularly in rural counties, where we have bright red MAGA county clerks who now will see this as free reign to play with the ballots, including my own, who says that Tina Peters is a trusted and valuable mentor to her.
BIRKELAND: Governor Polis leaves office in January. He has butted heads with the party when he vetoed a union rights bill and on other issues. Party member Andrew Brandt said he's been a poll worker, and Polis' decision will make the job harder.
ANDREW BRANDT: I cannot tolerate a governor who treats a lawbreaking county clerk and recorder in this way.
BIRKELAND: The party vote also means Polis can't be an honored guest or speaker at its events. In a text, the governor's office said Peters' commutation was based on facts, and sometimes the right thing isn't the popular thing with everybody.
For NPR News, I'm Bente Birkeland.
(SOUNDBITE OF ROB FORD EXPLORER'S "PHOENICIA") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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