President Donald Trump has claimed he is granting a “full pardon” to Tina Peters, the former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk who was sentenced to nine years in state prison for her role in election-related charges stemming from the 2020 presidential election.
However, Colorado officials have swiftly pushed back, arguing that the president does not have the constitutional authority to pardon state convictions. Legal experts say Trump’s announcement, made on social media Thursday, sets the stage for a potential court battle.
Peters was convicted in August 2024 after giving an associate connected to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell — a Trump ally — access to the election software she managed for her county. Screenshots from that software were later posted on right-wing websites promoting false claims that the 2020 election had been fraudulent. Despite repeated assertions by Trump and his allies, there is no evidence that any major fraud occurred that could have affected the election outcome.
Trump has repeatedly called for Peters’ release, and on Thursday evening he posted on social media: “I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election!” He added, “Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for the ‘crime’ of demanding Honest Elections.”
The announcement comes as the administration attempted to move Peters into federal custody to gain jurisdiction over her case — a request that was denied by the courts. In August, Trump had also warned that he would “take harsh measures” if Peters was not released.
Colorado officials, however, maintain that the president’s claims have no legal basis. “One of the most basic principles of our Constitution is that states have independent sovereignty and manage our own criminal justice systems without interference from the federal government,” Attorney General Phill Weiser said in a statement Thursday. “The idea that a president could pardon someone tried and convicted in state court has no precedent in American law and will not hold up.”
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold echoed the warning: “Peters was convicted by a jury of her peers for state crimes in a state court. Trump has no constitutional authority to pardon her. His actions are not just an attack on our democracy, but on states’ rights and the American Constitution.”
As of Friday morning, no legal action had been taken against the Trump Administration over the president’s announcement.
