Colorado state officials and the bipartisan Colorado County Clerks Association are urging Governor Jared Polis to block a federal request to transfer former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters from state to federal custody. Peters, a prominent election denier, is serving a state prison sentence for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment.
The request from the Federal Bureau of Prisons has drawn sharp criticism, with opponents arguing the move appears to be a politically motivated attempt to circumvent Colorado’s judicial process. On Friday, Secretary of State Jena Griswold formally asked the governor to deny the transfer and “uphold the authority of Colorado courts and Colorado law.”
“Tina Peters stands alone as an example of the nefarious actions and outcomes of election denialism,” Griswold stated. “Her deliberate and criminal actions were perpetrated in support of Donald Trump’s ‘Big Lie.’ She was found guilty of her crimes by a jury of her peers… She is incarcerated because she broke Colorado law.”
Echoing those concerns, the Colorado County Clerks Association warned that transferring Peters would endanger election officials nationwide, who already face rising threats. The association argued the transfer “would send a deeply damaging message” that accountability can be negotiated, undermining the state’s prosecutors and judicial system while leaving clerks who upheld the law to “face the consequences alone.”
Peters was convicted in March 2024 on multiple charges, including attempting to influence a public servant and official misconduct. The case stemmed from a 2021 incident where she allowed an unauthorized individual, affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, to access the county’s election system and copy a voting machine hard drive in an attempt to find evidence supporting false claims of 2020 election fraud. Two of her former employees accepted plea deals and testified against her.
During her trial, Peters maintained she was legally preserving election records and that the charges were politically motivated, a claim the Republican district attorney who prosecuted the case denied. At her sentencing, the judge noted Peters showed no remorse for her actions and sentenced her to nine years in prison.
The push for a federal transfer follows a controversial announcement from the Department of Justice in March that it would review Peters’ case, with an acting assistant attorney general calling her sentence “exceptionally lengthy.” Peters has also requested release on bond pending an appeal, citing serious health issues.
The reason for the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ transfer request remains unclear, and Governor Polis has not yet indicated how he will respond.
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