Tina Peters, the former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk imprisoned since 2024 for election interference and undue influence of a public official, has served 518 days of her excessively harsh nine-year sentence. A local Colorado publication outlined Peters’ conviction, its punitive sentencing, as well as the rejection of Peters’ appeals. But the author also contrasted Peters’ case with the recent prosecution and conviction of State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis (D). Spoiler alert: Colorado justice isn’t blind, it’s on crack.
For Peters’ four felonies, she was sentenced to eight years and three months in Colorado prison, and she was immediately taken into custody at the conclusion of the hearing. She was denied bond pending appeal. She was given a few extra months for her misdemeanor counts, and was also given $10,750 in fines from the court.
On the other hand, Jaquez Lewis was sentenced on Tuesday to two years of supervised probation, 150 hours of community service, and a fine.
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Here’s her laundry list of charges.
Jaquez Lewis was prosecuted by the Denver District Attorney’s Office and convicted in Denver District Court of one count of attempting to influence a public servant (C.R.S. 18-8-306) and three counts of forgery. The charges stemmed from her submission of letters of support during a legislative ethics investigation; at least some of the letters were later determined to be forged.
Prosecutors did not charge separate influence counts for each member of the ethics committee. Instead, they charged one felony per forged document (three false statements/deceptive acts) to a single influence count tied to the proceeding — essentially treating the four-person ethics committee as one public official.
The Senator’s crime was three false statements to four public officials — but it was charged as three false statements to one. For these four felonies, Jaquez Lewis was sentenced to two years of supervised probation, 150 hours of community service, and a fine.
There’s definitely something wrong with this picture. Jaquez Lewis avoided prison, while Peters is in solitary confinement. Credit where credit is due: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) has recognized this and may be doing something about it.
Polis took to his personal X account to express his sentiments.
Last week, former State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was sentenced to probation and community service after being convicted of four felonies including Attempt to Influence a Public Official. She made a horrible mistake, and she was wrong. I hope she learns from this and can rebuild…
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) March 4, 2026
Last week, former State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was sentenced to probation and community service after being convicted of four felonies including Attempt to Influence a Public Official. She made a horrible mistake, and she was wrong. I hope she learns from this and can rebuild her life. As someone who has known Sonya as a friend for many years, on a personal level I was glad to hear she isn’t going to prison which is a hard place for anyone, no less a retired 68-year old pharmacist. But it is not lost on me that she was convicted of the exact same felony charge as Tina Peters — attempting to influence a public official — and yet Tina Peters, as a non-violent first time offender got a nine year sentence. Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly, you never know when you might need to depend on the rule of law. This is the context I am using as I consider cases like this that have sentencing disparities, which is why I have extended the deadline for clemency applications until April 3rd. I will be making decisions on these cases throughout the remainder of my governorship.
My, how the worm turns. This shift in policy is making headlines — as it should — not only because it’s a glaring example of justice unequally applied, but also because the state senator is Polis’ “friend.”
At least Polis is honest enough not to run from it and to publicly declare he will look at clemency.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a tweet on Tuesday night that he intends to review the clemency case for Tina Peters, the 70-year-old former Mesa County clerk who was convicted of multiple charges related to election interference in the 2020 presidential election.
Peters’ case, in which she was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2024, has gained national attention, including from President Trump and many of his supporters, with many of Peters’ supporters arguing her sentence was too harsh.
Polis, a Democrat, compared Peters’ case to that of former state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Democrat who was convicted in January of four felony charges — attempting to influence a public figure and three counts of forgery — and sentenced on Tuesday to two years of probation and 150 hours of community service.
But not everyone is happy about this turn of events. Namely, the individuals responsible for bringing the charges against Peters and ensuring she was prosecuted for them. First in line: Attorney General Phil Weiser (D), who happens to be running for Colorado governor.
As I have said before, and reiterate in my statement below, commuting Tina Peters’ sentence would be a grave miscarriage of justice and is not appropriate given the seriousness of her crimes and lack of remorse. pic.twitter.com/fKu2l7gMYQ
— Phil Weiser (@pweiser) March 4, 2026
Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D), who is running to replace Weiser as attorney general, takes every opportunity to trash Peters and is currently being sued by U.S. Civil Rights AAG Harmeet Dhillon for her refusal to turn over the state’s voter rolls.
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Griswold did her usual pretzel logic to deny that the two cases are examples of unequal justice:
“Tina Peters was found guilty of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant along with four additional felony and misdemeanor counts. Beyond one count in common, it is not accurate to suggest that Peters’ and Sonya Jaquez Lewis’ actions or impacts are the same,” Griswold said in a statement on Wednesday. “Peters organized the breach of the election equipment, broke the public trust and attacked the very foundations of our democratic process. Her actions are still being used to try to undermine the 2026 election. She should get no special treatment by the Governor, and his statement is shocking and worrisome.”
Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet, who is also running for CO governor, felt he had to weigh in.
Tina Peters knowingly broke the law, undermined our elections, and was rightfully convicted by a jury of her peers.
At a moment like this, we can’t capitulate to a lawless Administration.
We have to stand strong for our institutions, our democracy, and the rule of law.
— Michael Bennet (@MichaelBennet) March 4, 2026
What is most egregious is that these same political actors and their well-heeled friends actively thwart any attempt to get Peters justice, whether that be in reduction of sentencing, bond, or moving her from the dangerous prison where she is now confined.
WATCH:
Since I have been on the Tina Peters legal team we have fought for every inch of ground to FREE Tina Peters. It is an honor and a privilege to serve for a woman who laid it all on the line for our country. Please expand the reach of her story we must win the court of public… https://t.co/4QUu9Gbbka
— Treniss J. Evans III (@CondemnedUSA) March 1, 2026
Polis is term-limited, and from his bipartisan moves in office of late, he does not care about party loyalty or a run for future office — he appears to be looking to do what is right. Good on him.
As for Weiser, Griswold, and Bennet? They know their political futures are weighted heavily on their already tainted and astroturfed records. In the case of Weiser and Griswold, this includes the prosecution and conviction of Tina Peters. Weiser and Griswold built their name recognition on Peters’ back. If Polis grants Peters clemency, it would snatch that feather out of the cap of their political aspirations.
Editor’s Note: The Democrats are doing everything in their power to undermine the integrity of our elections.
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