Trump pardons former Colorado elections clerk, but it alone won’t free her from prison

Former Colorado elections official Tina Peters received a symbolic pardon from President Donald Trump on Thursday, though the gesture holds no legal authority to free her from state prison.

Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence after being convicted of orchestrating a security breach of election systems following the 2020 presidential election. Her conviction came under Colorado state law, placing it outside the reach of presidential pardon powers, which only apply to federal offenses.

“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,” Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the symbolic pardon, repeating his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.

The case against Peters stemmed from her actions in May 2021, when she allowed an unauthorized individual to access secure election equipment in Mesa County. Prosecutors successfully proved that Peters permitted this person, who had connections to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, to use a security access card and then misrepresented their identity to county officials.

The security breach resulted in confidential voting machine passwords being published online, compromising election system integrity in the western Colorado county. Throughout her trial and subsequent imprisonment, Peters has remained unapologetic about her actions.

Her case has become a rallying point within election denial circles, with supporters pressuring Trump to intervene on her behalf. Peters’ legal team recently attempted to have her transferred from state to federal custody, a move opposed by Colorado officials.

Just this week, a federal magistrate judge rejected Peters’ request to be released from prison while she appeals her state conviction, further cementing her legal predicament despite Trump’s symbolic gesture.

The pardon represents Trump’s continued embrace of those who backed his false claims about the 2020 election. Last month, he issued similar symbolic pardons to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and dozens of others facing state charges related to efforts to overturn the election results.

Election security experts view the Peters case as emblematic of the potential threats posed by election officials who subscribe to conspiracy theories. Her actions violated the strict chain-of-custody protocols designed to ensure voting systems remain secure and untampered with.

Despite extensive investigations, recounts and audits across battleground states, no evidence of widespread fraud that could have altered the 2020 election outcome has been uncovered. Courts in multiple states, including judges appointed by Republicans, dismissed dozens of lawsuits challenging election results. Even Trump’s own Attorney General William Barr publicly stated that investigators found no evidence of fraud on a scale that would have changed the election outcome.

Colorado officials have maintained that Peters’ case is about breaking the law, not politics. During her sentencing, the judge emphasized that her actions undermined public confidence in election administration and violated her oath of office.

The symbolic pardon comes as Trump continues to make election security a central theme in his current presidential campaign, often repeating many of the same claims that inspired Peters’ actions.

For now, Peters remains in Colorado state prison with limited legal options. While Trump’s gesture may elevate her status among his supporters, it does nothing to alter her legal standing or reduce her sentence, highlighting the limitations of presidential power when it comes to state-level prosecutions.