There has been considerable press and outrage regarding Gov. Jared Polis’ commutation of former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters’s remaining prison sentence. The outrage is reinforced by President Donald J. Trump’s creation of a $1.776 billion compensation fund through a self-negotiated settlement agreement authorized by interim Attorney General Todd Blanche (Trump’s former personal defense attorney). Vice President J.D. Vance has publicly stated Ms. Peters will qualify for compensation through the $1.776 billion fund. Our state, our nation and our society is rushing headlong toward fascism when law enforcement and government resources are used to perpetuate rather than prosecute crime.

Colorado’s 2026 election must be decided on the issues of combating public corruption and restoring integrity in government. For more than two years, from December 2018 through February 2021, the justices of the Colorado Supreme Court knowingly concealed material evidence of public fraud from Colorado State Auditor Dianne Ray and from the Commission on Judicial Discipline (which I chaired). More specifically, the justices concealed their part in collectively approving a $2.66 million to $2.75 million hush-money contract to be paid using taxpayer dollars, and which was negotiated through a memorandum detailing numerous examples of unreported judicial, attorney and official misconduct. The justices were aided in covering up this material information by Attorney General Phil Weiser, Gov. Jared Polis and many other public officials. Even after the so-called Masias Memo was disclosed, the justices and Attorney General Weiser coordinated obstruction of the state auditor’s fraud hotline investigation, which caused the state statute of limitations to expire for the justices’ own misconduct and the misconduct of the other public officials involved.

The critical question is why haven’t the justices resigned as a consequence of their misconduct, which has been admitted to and proven through Matter of Coats, 2023 CO 44? 

Christopher Gregory

Longmont

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