Former election clerk Tina Peters released after Trump pressure campaign | Donald Trump News
Colorado Election Official Released from Prison Amid Controversy
By Reuters and The Associated Press
Published June 1, 2026
Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk, has been released from state prison after a campaign for clemency that garnered support from former President Donald Trump. Peters was convicted of allowing unauthorized access to election machine data and was sentenced to nine years in prison for her role in the security breach.
Upon her release Monday, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold issued a statement expressing her disapproval. She stated that Peters’ release undermines accountability for those who threaten election integrity. “It sends a dangerous message about accountability for those who would attack elections,” Griswold said. She also noted that Peters continues to promote false claims regarding election fraud.
Peters, a supporter of Trump, became involved in the election denial movement during the 2020 presidential election, contesting Joe Biden’s victory. While serving as clerk for Mesa County, Colorado, she permitted an unauthorized individual to access local electronic voting systems to copy hard drives in an attempt to substantiate her claims of election fraud.
Trump and his allies have portrayed Peters as a victim of political persecution. Last November, his administration issued a blanket pardon for individuals involved in efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. In December, Trump specifically pardoned Peters despite her state-level convictions.
Clemency at the federal level does not affect state charges, but Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, granted Peters clemency last month, describing her nine-year sentence as disproportionate for a first-time non-violent offender. “The crimes you were convicted of are very serious, and you deserve to spend time in prison for these offenses,” Polis stated. “However, this is an extremely unusual and lengthy sentence.”
The decision has drawn criticism from Democrats, election officials, and watchdog groups, many of whom consider the clemency misguided. “We are furious, disgusted, and deeply disappointed,” said Matt Crane, head of the Colorado County Clerks Association.
Critics have pointed to Peters’ lack of remorse as a troubling sign. Following her release, she appeared on a podcast hosted by Steve Bannon, reiterating unfounded allegations of election fraud. “I know that the Democrats are going to cheat,” she claimed, emphasizing that her imprisonment was a result of her efforts to expose alleged vulnerabilities in voting machines.
Her statements have sparked immediate backlash, particularly from Democratic gubernatorial candidates who are vying to succeed Polis. State Senator Michael Bennet commented, “Tina Peters is out of prison and already spreading the same false claims about Colorado elections that led her to commit four felonies in the first place — all in service of Trump’s Big Lie.”
Bennet added, “That’s not what remorse looks like.”
