Months before Colorado Governor Jared Polis granted clemency to Tina Peters, a convicted election denier, the state’s clemency advisory board unanimously opposed her early release on two separate occasions, according to two board members. These votes took place in January and February during the board’s closed meetings, where members review difficult criminal cases including those involving lengthy sentences.

Peters, a former county clerk in western Colorado, was convicted of tampering with voting machines under her control to support unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged in favor of President Joe Biden—claims that have made her a cause célèbre within the election-denial movement and a focal point of pressure from former President Donald Trump. Trump publicly urged Governor Polis to free Peters, who was serving a nine-year sentence.

The 11-member clemency advisory board, whose members are appointed by the governor, operates in secrecy; meetings are closed to the public, and members are discouraged from taking notes or publicly discussing their recommendations. Despite the board’s twice unanimous rejection of Peters’s early release bids, Governor Polis ultimately overruled their decisions in May and commuted her sentence, leading to her release on June 1.

Two Denver lawyers on the board, Hannah Seigel Proff and Azra Taslimi, spoke out publicly about the case, expressing dismay over the governor’s intervention. Both said the decision undermined the fairness of Colorado’s clemency process by favoring an inmate with high-profile political backing while other applicants who had shown remorse and met the criteria remain incarcerated. “It really was a punch in the gut,” Proff said. “It flies in the face of justice.”

Proff, who has served on the board for over seven years, and Taslimi, a three-year member, noted that Peters did not acknowledge wrongdoing or demonstrate genuine remorse in her application. They also criticized her for seeking clemency before her case had fully played out in the appeals process; an appeals court had vacated her original sentence in April and ordered a resentencing, which had not yet occurred. They argued this move disrupted the normal procedures and reinforced a perception of a two-tiered justice system.

Following their initial vote, the governor’s legal staff requested a second review after Peters amended her application slightly, but the board’s unanimous opposition remained unchanged. Despite the board’s stance, Polis defended his decision, citing the length of Peters’s sentence for a nonviolent, first-time offender as excessive and stating that her punishment violated her free speech rights. A spokesperson for the governor emphasized that clemency decisions rest solely with Polis and criticized suggestions that political considerations influenced his decision.

The case has drawn significant political fallout. Polis faced censure from his own Democratic Party, with multiple Democrats denouncing the commutation. Opponents of Peters, including some Republicans in her hometown, describe her as an unrepentant conspiracy theorist undeserving of clemency.

Peters, who remains on parole, quickly resumed vocal criticism of Democrats and election processes after her release. She is currently appealing her 2024 convictions on four felony counts to the Colorado Supreme Court. Her attorney, Peter Ticktin, said he was not informed of the clemency board’s votes but suggested the decision-making process was heavily influenced by politics.

Despite their disappointment, Proff and Taslimi said they will remain on the clemency advisory board to continue addressing a backlog of cases, underscoring their commitment to the work despite the controversy. “I do love this work. We just have to say something,” Proff said.