Trump Announces Pardon for Tina Peters
May not end her prison term, as she was convicted under State law
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has granted a full pardon to Tina Peters, a former Colorado elections official now serving a lengthy State prison sentence for her role in a 2021 breach of County election equipment.
Peters was jailed for preserving evidence from the 2020 elections that she was told to delete, despite laws to preserve records for a length of time.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump framed the pardon as support for Peters’s claims about the 2020 election. Trump wrote:
“For years, Democrats ignored Violent and Vicious Crime of all shapes, sizes, colors, and types. Violent Criminals who should have been locked up were allowed to attack again. Democrats were also far too happy to let in the worst from the worst countries so they could rip off American Taxpayers. Democrats only think there is one crime – Not voting for them! Instead of protecting Americans and their Tax Dollars, Democrats chose instead to prosecute anyone they can find that wanted Safe and Secure Elections. Democrats have been relentless in their targeting of TINA PETERS, a Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our Elections were Fair and Honest. Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for the “crime” of demanding Honest Elections. Today I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election!”
Peters was convicted in Colorado State court and sentenced to nine years in prison for permitting unauthorized access to voting system equipment and related offenses. That conviction and sentence stem from multiple felony and misdemeanor counts tied to her conduct after the 2020 election.
During the trial, Judge Matthew Barrett berated Peters, calling her a "defiant" and "privileged" figure because of her steps to report what she perceived as election fraud involving Dominion voting machines.
Legal experts and State officials have said that a Presidential pardon does not apply to crimes adjudicated under State law. The U.S. Constitution gives the President authority to pardon federal offenses, but longstanding legal interpretation holds that this power does not extend to State convictions.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser stated earlier this month that a federal pardon “will not hold up,” noting that State prosecutions are under Colorado’s independent authority. Likewise, legal analysts have described the pardon as symbolic because it does not affect the State jury’s judgment or State prison term.
Peters, a Gold Star mother who is in poor health, remains incarcerated while legal challenges continue. A federal judge recently denied her request to appear remotely from prison during appeal proceedings.
Peters’ story features prominently in 2022’s Selection Code, a documentary about alleged voting machine fraud. The Selection Code trailer may be seen on YouTube and below:
