President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has issued a full pardon to former Colorado election clerk Tina Peters, describing her as a “patriot” who was unfairly targeted for questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Peters, a 69-year-old Gold Star Mother with health issues, is serving a nine-year sentence in a Colorado state prison and accused Democrats of persecuting her for demanding “fair and honest elections.” While Trump framed the pardon as an act of justice, it remains largely symbolic because Peters was convicted under state law, meaning the federal pardon does not automatically require her release.
Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder, was convicted in October 2024 on multiple state charges related to unauthorized access to voting equipment following the 2020 election. Prosecutors said she allowed sensitive voting machine data to be copied by an outside party, violating election security laws and obstructing a government operation. She was subsequently sentenced to nine years in prison. Her supporters argue she acted as a whistleblower attempting to preserve election records that officials had ordered deleted, while state authorities have consistently maintained that the case was about enforcing election law, not punishing political beliefs.
Trump’s announcement came shortly after a federal judge denied Peters’ habeas corpus request seeking early release. Her attorney, Peter Ticktin, has claimed she has suffered mistreatment in prison and renewed calls for her freedom. Trump has repeatedly criticized Colorado officials, including Attorney General Phil Weiser, accusing them of ignoring violent crime while pursuing Peters for political reasons. Colorado officials, however, have defended the conviction, stating it reinforces the rule of law and the integrity of the state’s electoral system.