Tina Peters, the former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk who became a prominent proponent of the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, is serving a nine-year state prison term tied to those actions. Her sentence is the longest criminal penalty so far tied to efforts to promote the Big Lie, and it has galvanized supporters who have demanded her release — even threatening extreme measures.
Despite public pressure from former President Donald Trump, who posted on social media and publicly called for her freedom, Peters remains in state custody — outside the reach of a federal pardon. On Monday, a federal magistrate judge denied her request for early release while she appeals her state convictions.
What Peters Was Convicted Of
In August 2024, a Colorado jury convicted Peters on multiple counts, including:
- Three counts of attempting to influence a public servant
- One count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation
- First-degree official misconduct and related violations
The prosecution says Peters allowed an unauthorized outsider into Mesa County’s secure elections server room, where hard drives were copied — after directing staff to turn off surveillance cameras that monitored the area.
Why Colorado Officials Are Resisting Pressure
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has refused calls to intervene. The prosecution was brought by Mesa County District Attorney Daniel P. Rubinstein, a Republican, and requested by an all-Republican Board of County Commissioners — a sign the case was handled outside normal partisan lines. As Rubinstein noted, voters in one of Colorado’s most conservative counties elected both Peters and the officials who pursued the prosecution.
"The system is holding — so far," said observers who point to the bipartisan nature of the decision to prosecute and the clear factual record laid out at trial.
Federal Intervention And Ongoing Reviews
Trump has publicly pushed for clemency and warned of "harsh measures" if Peters is not freed. In March, the Justice Department told a federal court that Peters’ case is part of a broader review of cases nationwide that raise concerns about potential abuses of the criminal justice process.
More concretely, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to review Colorado’s prison conditions after Peters’ lawyers reported allegedly unsafe treatment. That inquiry — the first of its kind under this administration — could affect custody decisions, including transfer or medical/compassionate-release avenues. In related filings, DOJ officials have questioned whether a nine-year sentence is disproportionate to the offenses in question.
Broader Political Context
Trump’s continued advocacy for Peters ties into a larger pattern: on his first day back in office this year, he pardoned or commuted sentences for a large number of Jan. 6-related defendants. Critics say those clemencies have signaled tolerance for criminal acts committed in service of the false election narrative.
What’s next: Peters’ appeals are likely to proceed through the courts — and the case could ultimately reach the Supreme Court. Until then, Colorado officials say they will defend the rule of law against intimidation and politically driven pressure.
Bottom line: For now, state convictions stand, Colorado officials are holding firm, and the federal review could change the case’s trajectory — but it does not automatically free Peters.
