Tina Peters, a former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk, was convicted in August 2024 on seven charges, including four felonies, for orchestrating a 2021 election security breach by allowing unauthorized access to voting machines in an attempt to prove claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
She facilitated the copying of sensitive election data, which was later leaked online, costing Mesa County $1.4 million in legal fees and allegedly damaging public trust in the electoral process. On October 3, 2024, District Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced Peters to nine years in prison, including eight-and-a-half years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and additional time in the Mesa County Detention Facility, calling her a “charlatan” who showed no remorse.
Peters, a 70-year-old Gold Star mother with no criminal history, is currently incarcerated at La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo, with reports of solitary confinement fueling controversy. President Trump has repeatedly called for her release, posting on Truth Social that Peters is an “innocent Political Prisoner” persecuted by Democrats to cover up alleged 2020 election fraud, and threatened “harsh measures” if she remains detained. Trump directed the Department of Justice to secure her release, citing her age and health issues, though he cannot pardon her as her conviction is at the state level.
Supporters, including Rep. Lauren Boebert and election denier groups, advocate for her release, framing her as a patriot exposing election irregularities, with some, like Kari Lake, calling her a “hero” unfairly targeted by “lawfare.” Critics, including Colorado officials, argue her sentence is justified, emphasizing that her actions endangered democracy. Peters’ attorneys have filed a federal habeas corpus petition, claiming her constitutional rights were violated, and the DOJ is reviewing her case for potential prosecutorial overreach. Her appeal is ongoing, with no formal clemency application submitted to Governor Jared Polis, who has the authority to grant a pardon.
We want to ask you, the reader: should Tina Peters be freed? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on her conviction over the election fraud case.
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