Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP
President Donald Trump announced he is issuing a “pardon” for a former elections clerk who was convicted of state charges in Colorado last year. But there’s one teensy-weensy hangup.
Tina Peters, a Trump supporter and former clerk of Mesa County, was found guilty of tampering with voting machines after the 2020 election. At her trial last year, Peters was convicted of helping a non-public employee gain access to the county’s voting machines. Upon receiving access, the individual took county passwords and proprietary information about the machines, which were made by Dominion Voting Systems. Trump and his allies have alleged that the company helped rig the 2020 election against him.
Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison.
On Thursday night, Trump announced a “pardon” for Peters on Truth Social:
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!
The president only has the power to issue pardons and commutations for federal crimes, as Article II of the Constitution clearly states.
“Tina Peters was convicted by a jury of her peers for state crimes in a state court,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold. “Trump has no constitutional authority to pardon her. His assault is not just on our democracy, but on states’ rights and the American constitution.”
On Tuesday, a federal magistrate judge denied Peters’ petition to get out of prison. In doing so, he noted a typo in the motion.
