President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is granting a full pardon to Tina Peters, the former Mesa County, Colorado clerk who became a cause célèbre among election-integrity activists after her criminal conviction related to a 2021 breach of county voting-machine equipment.
Trump delivered the announcement on Truth Social, criticizing Democrats and prosecutors for what he called politically motivated targeting of Peters and other supporters aligned with his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
In his post, 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!”
The pardon arrived days after Peters formally sought clemency, prompted by a court’s rejection of her habeas corpus filing. Her attorney, Peter Ticktin, wrote to the president Saturday seeking a pardon for Peters, noting she has been threatened and attacked multiple times by other inmates.
Peters gained national prominence following a 2021 security breach in Mesa County where confidential voting-machine data was copied and later leaked online. Colorado officials stated the breach violated state security protocols and exposed sensitive election-system information. Prosecutors alleged Peters permitted an unauthorized person into a secure area during a voting-machine update and facilitated copying of restricted Dominion Voting Systems software.
In 2024, a Colorado jury found Peters guilty of obstruction of a government operation—a misdemeanor—for interfering with investigators during the breach inquiry. She was sentenced to four months in jail and ordered to pay fines and perform community service. Additional felony charges related to the data breach remained ongoing at the time of her incarceration.
Peters and her supporters maintained she acted as a whistleblower attempting to expose election vulnerabilities. State officials countered her actions endangered election security and violated strict access rules designed to protect voting equipment. Trump has repeatedly argued Peters was targeted because of her alignment with his push to investigate irregularities in the 2020 election.
