Story perspectives

Trump Pressures Polis, Secures Commutation for Ex-Clerk Peters

6/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump pressured Governor Jared Polis, leading to the commutation of former Mesa County elections clerk Tina Peters’ sentence.
Peters was released from the La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo on June 1 2026 after the commutation.
She had been convicted in August 2024 of official misconduct, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and related offenses for allowing a MyPillow-affiliated expert access to a Dominion Voting Systems server.

History

Historical Context

When Donald Trump asked Colorado Governor Jared Polis in June 2026 to commute Tina Peters’ sentence, he invoked a tradition of presidential clemency that dates to Gerald Ford’s September 8, 1974 full pardon of Richard Nixon. Ford’s controversial move, part of 409 pardons he issued, sparked lasting debate over executive power and shaped later uses of the pardon.

1 of 2

Story summary

President Donald Trump pressured Governor Jared Polis, leading to the commutation of former Mesa County elections clerk Tina Peters’ sentence.
Peters was released from the La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo on June 1 2026 after the commutation.
She had been convicted in August 2024 of official misconduct, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and related offenses for allowing a MyPillow-affiliated expert access to a Dominion Voting Systems server.

1 / 2