Colorado Gov. Jared Polis dismissed two members of his clemency board this week after they publicly opposed his decision to let free election denier Tina Peters.
Read more Babies born this year will receive Social Security cards with ‘Freedom 250′ logo
Polis, a term-limited Democrat who is winding down his time in office, on Wednesday removed attorneys Azra Taslimi and Hannah Seigel Proff from his clemency board.
The pair revealed last month in interviews with the New York Times that the board had twice unanimously voted to reject a request to be let out early from Peters, a former Mesa County clerk convicted of four felonies as part of a scheme to bolster President Donald Trump’s false claims about a rigged 2020 election. Polis in May commuted Peters’s sentence and let her out of prison years early, adhering to a request from the president.
Polis fired the two members of the board because clemency deliberations are supposed to be confidential, Polis spokesman Eric Maruyama said Thursday.
Taslimi and Proff did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Times first reported on the dismissals.
Read more Cooper Lutkenhaus, 17, makes Prefontaine Classic 800 debut with veteran’s poise and youthful energy
The grant of clemency infuriated election officials from both parties and led Colorado Democrats to censure Polis. They accused Polis of giving into Trump and boosting mistrust in election systems.
Peters has celebrated her release in conservative media appearances. This week, she posted a photo of herself holding a Birkin bag and admiring a portrait of the president at the White House. Trump posted a photo of Peters at his side in the Oval Office along with a message saying Democrats “didn’t want her out there speaking to the Media.”
Catch up quickly every weekday morning with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories. Sign up for The 7 newsletter.
Read more Ocasio-Cortez endorses in Michigan’s fraught Democratic Senate primary
