Trump urges release of Tina Peters after voting-system conviction

President Donald Trump on Thursday publicly urged the release of Tina Peters, a former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk who is serving a nine-year prison sentence after being convicted of multiple counts tied to unauthorized access to county voting systems in 2021. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Peters as a “brave and innocent Patriot” and warned that harsh measures would be taken if she is not freed, adding that she “did nothing wrong” except exposing alleged fraud by Democrats.

Peters, who led Mesa County’s election operations from 2018 until 2023, was convicted in 2024 on seven of ten counts related to her efforts to obtain access to voting equipment as part of a broader, unproven assertion that the 2020 election was rigged. The jury found her guilty of three counts aimed at influencing a public official, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct, violation of duty, and failure to comply with state election requirements; three other charges were dismissed by acquittal. She was sentenced to nine years in prison, making her the first election official in the United States to be convicted in connection with attempts to overturn the 2020 results.