US EditionTrump Says He Granted Pardon to Tina Peters, Sparking Serious Legal Questions
Trump's pardon for Tina Peters lacks legal effect on her nine-year Colorado state sentence but increases political pressure and may prompt new legal actions, experts say.
- On Dec. 11, 2025, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had pardoned Tina Peters, though no formal clemency document appeared on the federal site as of 6 p.m.
- The former Mesa County clerk, Tina Peters, 70, was convicted by a jury of election system breaches and sentenced to nine years in October 2024 at La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo.
- Constitutional law experts Jessica Smith and Doug Spencer said a president can pardon only federal offenses, while Colorado Gov. Jared Polis alone can pardon or commute Tina Peters' state sentence.
- As of 6 p.m., no formal clemency document had appeared on the federal clemency website; the move could prompt filings by Peters' legal team while a federal judge denied release and state corrections rejected transfer.
- Peters' case fits a pattern in which Trump has sought clemency for allies, as he has pardoned over 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, with experts warning this could upend federalism.
50 Articles
50 Articles
BREAKING: Trump grants full pardon to ‘political prisoner’ Tina Peters
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has granted a full pardon to Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk whose case has become a rallying point for election-integrity activists across the country. Trump has previously described Peters as a “political prisoner” on several occasions. The decision came in a statement to Truth, calling out Democrats of weaponizing the justice system and ignoring violent crime while punishing politica…
Trump grants 'full pardon' to Tina Peters after election interference conviction
President Donald Trump granted a “full pardon” to former Mesa County, Colorado, Clerk Tina Peters, though it may not be able to save her from prison. Peters was convicted in 2024 on state charges for her role in trying to overturn the 2020 election, and her appeal is still working through the Colorado courts. As presidential pardons are traditionally only granted for federal charges, it may not have an effect. Nevertheless, Trump accused Democra…
Trump claims he’s pardoning Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk
President Donald Trump, seen during a press conference in June, has repeatedly demanded that Colorado release Tina Peters from prison. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)President Donald Trump says he is granting a pardon to Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk who is serving a Colorado prison sentence for her role in breaching the security of her own election equipment. Presidential pardons have been universally understood throughout Americ…
Trump pardons jailed ex-Colorado election official Tina Peters, but she was charged in state court
President Trump said he is granting a pardon to Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of allowing unauthorized access to voting machines — even though the pardon power is widely understood to only apply to federal crimes.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
