Trump Grants Full Pardon to Former Colorado Clerk Tina Peters, Accused of Election Breach

President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is granting a full pardon to Tina Peters, the former Mesa County, Colorado clerk who became prominent among election-integrity activists after her criminal conviction related to a 2021 security breach involving county voting equipment.

The pardon followed a formal request from Peters’ attorney, Peter Ticktin, after a court rejected her habeas corpus filing. Ticktin reported that Peters has faced threats and attacks from other inmates during her incarceration.

In his announcement, Trump criticized Democrats and prosecutors for what he described as politically motivated targeting of Peters and others aligned with efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Trump wrote: “For years, Democrats ignored Violent and Vicious Crime of all shapes, sizes, colors, and types. Violent Criminals who should have been locked up were allowed to attack again. Democrats were also far too happy to let in the worst from the worst countries so they could rip off American Taxpayers. Democrats only think there is one crime – Not voting for them! Instead of protecting Americans and their Tax Dollars, Democrats chose instead to prosecute anyone they can find that wanted Safe and Secure Elections. 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. Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for the ‘crime’ of demanding Honest Elections. Today I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election!”

Peters gained national attention after a 2021 security breach in Mesa County, where confidential voting-machine data was copied and leaked online. Colorado officials stated the breach violated state security protocols. Prosecutors alleged Peters permitted an unauthorized individual into a secure area during a voting-machine update and facilitated the copying of restricted Dominion Voting Systems software. In 2024, she was convicted of obstruction of a government operation—a misdemeanor—for interfering with investigators, receiving a four-month prison sentence and community service requirements.

Additional felony charges related to the data breach remained pending at the time of her incarceration. Peters and her supporters maintained she acted as a whistleblower seeking to expose election system vulnerabilities, while state officials argued her actions endangered election security protocols. Trump has repeatedly stated that Peters was targeted due to her alignment with his efforts to investigate irregularities in the 2020 election.