Trump threatens "harsh measures" against Colorado if Tina Peters is not freed from prison
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President Trump is pushing Colorado officials to "free" Tina Peters. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Trump is once again demanding that Colorado officials "free" former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters from prison, this time adding a threat to "take harsh measures" if she is not let go.
Why it matters: The remark, made Thursday on his Truth Social platform, is the latest attempt by Trump to intervene on behalf of Peters, one of the nation's most prominent 2020 election deniers.
What he's saying: Trump called Peters "a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians" and criticized the state's mail-in ballot elections.
- He added that Peters, 69, "is an old woman, and very sick."
Reality check: Federal authorities cannot overturn a state court conviction, raising questions about the premise of Trump's threat.
Yes, but: The administration could target Colorado by withholding federal funds or pursuing legal action regarding the state's immigration laws.
Catch up quick: Last October, a Colorado judge sentenced Peters to 8 ½ years and six months in jail after a jury found her guilty on seven of 10 counts related to her role in tampering with county voting equipment after the 2020 election.
- She faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
- The Department of Justice announced in March it would review Peters' case, in particular her sentence, and whether it was "oriented more toward inflicting political pain than toward pursuing actual justice."
The latest: In July, Peters asked a federal court to free her on bond while she appeals her conviction, arguing that the state is trying to silence her in violation of her First Amendment rights.
- U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak rejected the motion, saying there's no legal precedent for granting her request.
The other side: Mesa County District Attorney Daniel P. Rubinstein, a Republican who prosecuted Peters, said earlier this year that politics did not play into her case.
- "Ms. Peters was indicted by a grand jury of her peers, and convicted at trial by the jury of her peers that she selected," Rubinstein told the Associated Press in a statement.