Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters is seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump after a federal court denied her request for release via a writ of habeas corpus.
Peters, 70, served as Mason County clerk and retained a copy of Colorado’s 2020 election results from Dominion Voting Systems, her attorney says. Her lawyer, Peter Ticktin, wrote to Trump on Saturday, citing repeated threats and attacks by other inmates. He said Peters was threatened about six months ago by a group claiming they would “stab and kill her,” prompting FBI and DOJ agents to interview her and move her to another unit. Ticktin added that Peters was attacked three more times in different locations in her new unit, despite being under guard supervision. Requests to transfer her to a safer unit have been denied six times.
Peters is serving a nine-year sentence following her 2024 conviction for attempting to influence a public official, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violating duty, and failing to comply with Colorado Secretary of State requirements. Ticktin described the trial as a “travesty” and asserted Peters is a key witness to alleged wrongdoing during the 2020 election in the U.S. He accused Dominion Voting Systems of conducting an “illegal operation” supported by foreign actors and said Peters’ retained data is critical for testifying about the chain of custody and other election-related evidence.
The pardon request came after U.S. District Court of Colorado Chief Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak denied Peters’ request for bond, which would have allowed her release while her appeal is pending in the Colorado Court of Appeals. Varholak explained that federal courts can only intervene in state cases under specific conditions and exceptions, such as prosecutorial bad faith, harassment, or unconstitutional actions. He ruled that Peters had not met these criteria and dismissed her habeas corpus petition without prejudice.