Trump Says He Pardoned Tina Peters, But Legal Experts Say It Won’t Free Her From Prison
President Donald Trump announced he is granting a pardon to former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters, a Colorado election official now serving a nine-year prison sentence, a proclamation that legal experts say has no legal force.
Trump’s declaration on Truth Social sparked immediate pushback because his clemency power only applies to federal crimes, while Peters was convicted under Colorado state law for her role in a 2021 election equipment data breach.
Peters was found guilty in 2024 on multiple state charges including attempting to influence a public servant and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, resulting in a lengthy prison sentence.
Colorado officials swiftly rejected Trump’s pardon claim, with Gov. Jared Polis saying the president lacks authority over state convictions and calling the move outside constitutional bounds.
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“No President has jurisdiction over state law nor the power to pardon a person for state convictions,” Polis said in a statement, according to local reporting.
The dispute underscores continuing debates over the scope of presidential pardon powers and state sovereignty under the U.S. Constitution, especially in high-profile political cases.
For now, Peters remains in state custody and is not freed by the presidential pardon claim.
Legal analysts say any challenge to extend federal pardon authority to state convictions would face unprecedented legal hurdles.
What happens next: Colorado courts and officials may see new filings testing the limits of executive clemency, but state law remains in force over Peters’ sentence.
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