Colorado Governor Jared Polis is encountering increasing pressure from various political factions to prevent the transfer of former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters into federal custody. A bipartisan letter from the Colorado County Clerk’s Association urged Polis to resist a request made by the Federal Bureau of Prisons last week, emphasizing concerns about Peters potentially using a transfer to further propagate ideas about election fraud.
Peters is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence after being convicted of allowing unauthorized access to Mesa County voting systems in an attempt to substantiate claims of voter fraud that aligned with former President Trump’s assertions regarding the 2020 election. According to reports, a member of Peters’s legal team indicated that the request for her transfer might relate to her desire to participate more actively in investigations into voting machines from the 2020 election, as well as medical issues she has faced while incarcerated.
Legal experts warn that a shift to federal custody could facilitate Peters’s release, a scenario Trump has advocated for by labeling Peters as a “political prisoner.”
The Colorado County Clerk’s Association’s letter conveyed the sentiment that Peters’s transfer could allow her to continue spreading misleading narratives about electoral processes, posing risks to other clerks dedicated to upholding the law. The letter expressed concern that such a move would send a detrimental message that accountability for violations of Colorado law could be subject to political negotiation, leaving those who acted honorably vulnerable to ongoing attacks.
Similarly, Secretary of State Jena Griswold emphasized the dangers posed by Peters’s continued promotion of unfounded election conspiracy theories, which have fostered an unprecedented threat environment for election officials in Colorado. Additionally, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has announced his strong opposition to any efforts that would facilitate Peters’s transfer.
The ongoing situation highlights the intersecting pressures of legal accountability, political influence, and the essential role of electoral integrity in maintaining public trust within the democratic process. As the governor weighs the concerns from both sides, the implications of the decision will resonate within Colorado’s election landscape and political atmosphere.