President Donald Trump is calling for the release of a former Republican county clerk imprisoned for allowing someone to access data from a secure voting system in attempts to prove baseless 2020 election denial conspiracies.
Tina Peters, a former clerk and recorder in Colorado who denies that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election over Donald Trump, was sentenced to nine years in prison in October 2024 on seven charges involving tampering with Mesa County’s election machines. The charges include attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and first-degree official misconduct.
Trump said in a post on social media Aug. 21 that Peters is an “old woman” and “very sick,” and should be freed from prison, threatening “very harsh measures” if she is not released, and repeated baseless claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
“FREE TINA PETERS, a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians, including the big Mail-In Ballot supporting the governor of the State,” Trump said in the social media post. “Let Tina Peters out of jail, RIGHT NOW. She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election.”
It’s the second time the president has taken to social media in the past several months to call for Peters’ release, who has become a public figure among election deniers. She was the first election official to be charged with a security breach following the 2020 presidential election related to unfounded conspiracy theories.
Peters was convicted in a Colorado state court, beyond the reach of the president’s executive clemency powers.
