U.S President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he had granted a “full pardon” to Tina Peters, the former Colorado elections official serving a nine-year prison sentence for her role in efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election.
Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, was convicted in October 2024 for allowing an unauthorized Trump supporter to access confidential voting system data in an attempt to prove the former president’s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud.
In a post on social media, Trump described Peters as a “Patriot” and accused Democrats of targeting her for attempting to ensure election integrity.
“I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose voter fraud in the rigged 2020 Presidential Election,” he wrote.
Despite Trump’s declaration, Peters remains ineligible for a presidential pardon because she was convicted under Colorado state law, not federal law.
Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, dismissed Trump’s announcement, stressing that the former clerk’s conviction went through an impartial legal process.
“Peters was convicted by a jury, prosecuted by a Republican District Attorney, and found guilty of violating Colorado state laws,” he said.
“No President has jurisdiction over state convictions or the authority to pardon them.”
Shortly after returning to office in January, Trump promised blanket pardons for individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Meanwhile, the U.S Supreme Court last week allowed Texas to implement new congressional district maps for the 2026 midterm elections, a move expected to strengthen Republican control in the House.
The ruling, issued by the court’s conservative majority, blocked a lower court’s decision that had deemed the maps unconstitutional for racially discriminatory gerrymandering.
The decision effectively clears the way for Texas to use the redrawn districts, as the candidate filing deadline for the midterms is only days away.
