Governor Jared Polis of Colorado protested the Colorado Democratic Party's decision to censure him by appearing on an internal party video call with his mouth taped. This action followed the party's censure, which occurred after Polis commuted the sentence of Tina Peters, a former Mesa County Clerk convicted of election interference. An image of Polis with tape on his mouth was shared on social media by political reporter Jesse Paul.
The Colorado Democratic Party's Central Committee voted to censure Polis, barring him from being an honored guest or speaker at party events. The clemency granted to Peters, who was convicted of copying sensitive election data, was met with opposition from Democratic leadership in the Colorado legislature, while some Republicans, including Representative Lauren Boebert, supported the decision.
Peters, who is set for release on parole on June 1, expressed remorse for her actions, stating, "I made mistakes, and for those I am sorry." Polis defended his decision, arguing that the punishment did not fit the crime and emphasized that Peters did not alter election results but illegally accessed election data for an independent audit.