“FREE TINA PETERS”: Elected officials, leaders react to Trump’s call to free former Mesa County clerk
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – In the wake of President Donald Trump's comments claiming former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters is a "Political Prisoner" and calling for her immediate release, KRDO13 pressed local leaders about their reaction to the president's comments.
Related: Trump’s DOJ to review Tina Peters’ conviction in Colorado election tampering case
In October 2024, Mesa County Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced Peters to serve nine years behind bars after a jury found her guilty in a data-breach scheme aimed at proving widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
She is currently incarcerated at the La Vista Correctional Facility.
KRDO13 reached out to many elected officials and political leaders in Southern Colorado and on the Western Slope for their reaction to President Trump's comments.
"It's a joke," El Paso County Democrat Chair John Jarrell said. "I do feel bad for Tina that she bought into Trump's lies and got so involved that she committed all these crimes. But, no, she was, she had a jury of her peers."
The local GOP Chair took a different stance.
"[We're] excited. We've been waiting for some action because we recognize it was going to probably take some federal action in order to see her freed," Ken Davis, El Paso GOP Chair, said.
Davis stopped short of saying Peters was a "hostage," as the president framed the situation, but he did take issue with the sentence handed down by Judge Barrett.
"By the letter of [the] law, she broke the law. And they found her guilty of breaking the law, so I wouldn't necessarily blame those in Mesa County," Davis said. "But I do think the judge then overreached with his sentencing."
In a statement, Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein (R) said Peters' conviction was not politically motivated.
"Nothing about the prosecution of Ms. Peters was politically motivated. In one of the most conservative jurisdictions in Colorado, the same voters who elected Ms. Peters, also elected the Republican District Attorney who handled the prosecution, and the all-Republican Board of County Commissioners who unanimously requested the prosecution of Ms. Peters on behalf of the Mesa County citizens which she victimized. Ms. Peters was indicted by a grand jury of her peers, and convicted at trial by the jury of her peers that she selected."
At the state level, Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) and Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) pushed back on the President's claims that Peters was a political prisoner.
"Tina Peters is a criminal who compromised her own voting equipment to try to prove Trump’s Big Lie," Griswold said in a statement. "Trump is weaponizing the Department of Justice. We cannot allow him to rewrite history or use his lies to create two tiers of justice for the American people.”
“Tina Peters is in prison because of her own actions. A grand jury indicted her and a trial jury found her guilty of breaking Colorado’s criminal laws," Weiser said. "No one is above the law. The Colorado Attorney General’s Office will continue to defend this criminal conviction in post-conviction proceedings and on appeal. We are firm in pursuing justice for the people of the state of Colorado, protecting free and fair elections, and standing up for the rule of law.”
As she was convicted of state crimes, President Trump cannot pardon Peters; only Colorado Gov. Jared Polis would have the power to issue a pardon.
According to the Department of Corrections, Peters' next parole hearing date is December 2028. If Peters were to serve out her entire term, she would be released on May 11, 2033.
KRDO13 Investigates reached out to Peters' most recent attorney, Michael Edminster, via email. He did not return our request by our deadline.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
