Colorado’s attorney general has accused the Trump administration of conducting a “revenge campaign” against the state by cutting federal funding and terminating programs due to Colorado’s refusal to release imprisoned former elections clerk Tina Peters or alter its mail-in voting system.

In an amended lawsuit filed Thursday, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser directly linked several adverse federal decisions to President Donald Trump’s ongoing demands regarding Peters, who was convicted last year for orchestrating a data breach scheme fueled by false claims about the 2020 election.

“The purpose is clear: to coerce Colorado to end mail-in voting and to release Tina Peters from prison. When the threats alone did not work, the Trump Administration followed through, employing various punishments against Colorado for its exercise of sovereign powers,” state attorneys argued in the filing.

Among the federal actions cited in the lawsuit are the dissolution of a climate research lab, threats to cut transportation funding, withholding funds for needy families, and the controversial decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. Weiser had initially sued in October over the Space Command relocation but has now expanded the scope of the legal challenge.

The White House has declined to acknowledge any connection between federal spending decisions and Peters’ incarceration. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated in an email that “President Trump is using his lawful and discretionary authority to ensure federal dollars are being spent in a way that aligns with the agenda endorsed by the American people when they resoundingly reelected the President.”

Trump has been vocal about Peters’ case, posting “FREE TINA PETERS!” on social media Thursday. In a December 31 post, he referred to Colorado’s Democratic governor as a “scumbag” and claimed the state’s mail-in voting system “makes it impossible for a Republican to win an otherwise very winnable state.”

Election security experts have consistently maintained that Colorado’s mail-in system is safe, secure, and legal, with no evidence suggesting it provides an advantage to either political party. The state’s voting system is widely regarded as a model for election administration across the country.

Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, was sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted in state court. Trump issued a symbolic pardon for Peters last month, though his presidential pardon power does not extend to state crimes. This gesture highlights Trump’s continued efforts to recast the 2020 election as fraudulent, despite numerous courts and his own former attorney general finding no evidence of widespread fraud that could have affected the outcome.

The amended lawsuit asks U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson in Denver to declare that Colorado has been unjustly punished by the administration in violation of the Constitution’s guarantee of state sovereignty.

“I recognize this is a novel request, and that’s because this is an unprecedented administration,” Weiser said during a news conference. “We’ve never seen an administration act in a way that is so flatly violating the Constitution and disrespecting state sovereign authority.”

The legal challenge represents an escalation in tensions between Colorado state officials and the Trump administration. It also highlights broader concerns about the federal government’s relationship with states that have policies at odds with the president’s agenda.

Meanwhile, Peters is asking a state appeals court to recognize Trump’s pardon as valid. Her attorneys are scheduled to appear in court next week as they seek to overturn her conviction.

The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of continuing national debates over election integrity, state sovereignty, and the appropriate use of federal power. Legal experts suggest the case could establish important precedents regarding the limits of presidential authority in dealings with state governments.