Colorado Governor Jared Polis dismissed two members of the state's executive clemency advisory board on Wednesday after they publicly condemned his decision to commute the prison sentence of election denier Tina Peters.
The dismissed board members, attorneys Hannah Seigel Proff and Azra Taslimi, revealed that the panel had twice voted unanimously to reject Peters' application for a shortened sentence before Polis overruled them in May.
Polis, a Democrat, sent formal termination letters stating the women violated strict confidentiality rules by disclosing internal board actions to media outlets, including The New York Times and The Denver Post.
"You breached the required duty of confidentiality by publicly divulging Board members' votes pertaining to a clemency application which you obtained only through your official position on this Board," Polis wrote in the letters.
Taslimi said she anticipated the retaliation but criticized the governor's handling of the case. "I'm not upset that he overrode our decision.
I think what's upsetting is that we understand why he did it, which is that Tina Peters had a powerful ally behind her," she said.
Taslimi added that the decision reflected a broader systemic issue.
"She had political pressure applied in her name, and the governor capitulated to it, and that is what makes this unfair, and that is why I call it selective mercy," she said.
Proff noted that her understanding of confidentiality differed from the administration's.
"More as the confidentiality to protect the people who apply for clemency, not to protect the governor," she said.
She expressed concern about the impact on accountability.
"I worry now that we've been terminated from the board what comes of this is that people are less likely to speak out … that politicians will go unchecked on these sort of decisions," Proff said.
Polis previously defended the commutation by pointing to a judicial review.
"It was a straightforward decision because, after reviewing the facts, and reading the Appeals Court decision, I concluded that her sentence was simply too long," he wrote.
In a joint op-ed in The Denver Post, the board members argued that the problem extended beyond Peters' case.
"It is what his decision reveals. That the system bends for some and holds firm against everyone else," they wrote.
Spokesperson Eric Maruyama said the administration maintains strict operational protocols.
"Publicly disclosing board recommendations and how members vote on any case threatens the credibility of the board, colors future deliberations by the board and breaks clearly stated confidentiality policy," he said.
Maruyama added that future applicants can expect full confidentiality. When asked about Peters' recent meeting at the Oval Office, he redirected focus to state fires.
Political commentator John Jackson criticized Polis on social media.
"Hey @GovofCO a real garbage move on your part, punishing the clemency board and freeing the unrepentant criminal Trump is using to try and steal the midterm elections," he wrote.
Academic Karen Piper questioned hidden motives. "Does Trump have dirt on him or what?"
she wrote.
Radio host Mat Smith called Polis "an absolute lowlife" and said he "lit himself on fire on the way out the door."
Peters, the former Mesa County clerk sentenced to nine years in prison for voting system tampering, was released on June 1.
The governor's office has quietly appointed two new members to fill the vacant seats.
