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2d ago

Trump Orders DOJ to Seek Release of Convicted Colorado Clerk Tina Peters

Tina Peters, serving a nine-year sentence for election equipment tampering, faces dismissal of her federal habeas petition as Trump intensifies efforts to secure her release.

Mesa County, Colo., clerk Tina Peters, who was indicted in March on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to allegations she and others tampered with secure voting equipment and software, acknowledges well-wishers at a rally staged to voice concerns about free and fair elections on the west steps of the State Capitol, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in downtown Denver. Peters and Mike Lindell, MyPillow chief executive officer, spoke at the rally, which drew several hundred attendees. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters looks on during sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)
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A picture of Tina Peters, with other people sitting at tables in the background.

Overview

  • President Trump has directed the Department of Justice to take action to secure the release of Tina Peters, calling her a 'political prisoner' and accusing Democrats of persecution.
  • Tina Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, was convicted in 2024 on seven charges, including felonies, for facilitating unauthorized access to voting systems in pursuit of unproven election fraud claims.
  • Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak has identified Peters' federal habeas petition as a mixed petition with both exhausted and unexhausted claims, making it subject to dismissal unless amended.
  • The Department of Justice has filed a statement of interest questioning whether Peters’ prosecution was politically motivated, while Colorado AG Phil Weiser has pledged to defend her conviction on appeal.
  • Peters' case marks the first criminal conviction of a U.S. election official tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, raising broader debates about election security and political accountability.