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 who had her sentence cut in half. Azra Taslimi and Hannah Seigel Proff were terminated from the board after they publicly criticized the governor’s decision, which they claimed was made under 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. However, Polis overrode their decision, citing a recent Colorado appeals court ruling that found the trial judge violated Peters’ First Amendment rights.

Taslimi and Proff claimed that the governor’s decision was an example of selective mercy, as Peters had a powerful ally behind her. They also expressed concern that their termination would lead to less transparency in the clemency process.

Confidentiality Breach

Polis stated that the two board members breached confidentiality by publicly divulging the board’s votes on Peters’ clemency application. Taslimi and Proff argued that the confidentiality rules were in place to protect the people who apply for clemency, not to protect the governor.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.