Colorado Gov. Jared Polis fired two members of the state’s clemency board after they spoke out against his decision to grant clemency to Tina Peters, a pro-life advocate whose sentence was cut in half. Azra Taslimi and Hannah Seigel Proff were terminated from their positions after they publicly criticized the governor’s decision, which they claimed was influenced by political pressure from President Donald Trump.
Clemency Decision
Peters, who was released from prison in June, was the last Trump ally still in prison for 2020 election-related crimes. The clemency board had twice voted unanimously to reject Peters’ application for an early release from prison. Polis justified his decision to release Peters by citing a recent Colorado appeals court ruling that found the trial judge violated Peters’ First Amendment rights.
Taslimi and Proff expressed disappointment but not surprise at their termination, stating that they understood why the governor made the decision. They claimed that the governor’s decision was an example of selective mercy, where Peters received special treatment due to her powerful ally. The governor’s spokesperson, Eric Maruyama, stated that the board members breached confidentiality by publicly disclosing their votes, which threatens the credibility of the board.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
