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President Donald Trump renewed his defense Monday of former Mesa County, Colorado, Clerk Tina Peters, urging her release from prison following her 2024 conviction in a case involving a breach of election system security.
In a post on Truth Social, the president described Peters as a “Patriot” and criticized her prosecution.
“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,” President Trump wrote.
“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. FREE TINA!” he added.
President Trump had previously commented on the case in December, writing that Peters was imprisoned for “trying to stop the massive voter fraud that goes on in her State” and describing the prosecution as politically motivated.
Peters, 70, was convicted in 2024 after prosecutors said she orchestrated a security breach of Mesa County’s election system in 2021 while attempting to find evidence of irregularities in electronic voting equipment.
A jury found her guilty on several counts, including attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct and failing to comply with an order from the Colorado Secretary of State. She was sentenced to nine years in prison and remains incarcerated while pursuing appeals.
The case has also drawn attention from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, who has questioned whether the sentence was excessive for a first-time, nonviolent offender.
In a March 3 statement, Polis noted that former Democratic state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis received probation and community service after being convicted of similar felony charges, including attempting to influence a public official.
“It is not lost on me that she was convicted of the exact same felony charge as Tina Peters — attempting to influence a public official — and yet Tina Peters, as a non-violent first time offender got a nine year sentence,” Polis wrote. He added that “Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly.”