Colorado Officials Push Back Against Federal Transfer of Election Denier Tina Peters
Denver,CO – Colorado’s Secretary of State and the Colorado County Clerks association are urging Governor Jared Polis to reject a request to transfer convicted election denier Tina Peters from state to federal custody. The move comes as the Federal Bureau of Prisons seeks to take control of Peters’ incarceration, sparking concerns that it’s a politically motivated attempt to circumvent justice.
peters, the former Mesa County Clerk and recorder, was convicted in October 2024 on multiple charges – including attempting to influence a public servant and official misconduct – stemming from a 2021 security breach of Mesa County’s voting machines. She allowed unauthorized access to the system,providing a man affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell the prospect to copy the election equipment’s hard drive in a futile search for evidence supporting false claims of a stolen 2020 election.
“Tina peters stands alone as an example of the nefarious actions and outcomes of election denialism,” stated Secretary of State Jena griswold in a letter to Governor Polis. “Her deliberate and criminal actions where perpetrated in support of Donald Trump’s ‘Big Lie.’ She violated Colorado law and her duty to administer Mesa County elections.”
The request for transfer has ignited a firestorm of criticism from election officials who fear it would embolden those seeking to undermine faith in the electoral process. The Colorado County Clerks Association argued that moving Peters to federal custody would “send a deeply damaging message” to election workers nationwide, who are already facing increasing threats and intimidation.
“To remove ms. Peters from Colorado custody now, at the urging of political actors outside our state, would imply that accountability for violations of Colorado law can be negotiated or avoided,” the association said in a statement. Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López added that the transfer would be “a betrayal to the thousands of bipartisan elections workers who, despite threats and intimidation, continue to put country before party.”
Peters’ case has become a rallying point for election denialists, and her supporters have actively campaigned for her release. Prosecutors have revealed that Peters’ actions were directly linked to attempts to validate unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, claims that have been repeatedly debunked.
Two of Peters’ former colleagues, Belinda Knisley and sandra Brown, previously accepted plea deals in connection with the investigation, with Knisley
