President Donald Trump again called for the release of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters from prison on Thursday, issuing a vague threat of “harsh measures” if state officials don’t let her out.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold quickly fired back, calling both Peters and the president “election-denying criminals who put their need for power ahead of the American people.”
“Trump is trying to power grab,” Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview with The Denver Post. “He is trying to rewrite the 2020 election.”
Peters, a Republican, is serving nine years behind bars after a jury convicted her last summer of breaching her county’s election computer system in an attempt to buttress the president’s and his supporters’ false claims that the Democrats stole the 2020 election, which was won by Joe Biden, from Trump.
Since Trump returned to office for a second term in January after winning last November’s election, he has directed the Department of Justice to review her case. DOJ lawyers have filed court motions on her behalf, so far unsuccessfully.
On his Truth Social account on Thursday morning, the president called Peters — who turns 70 next month — a “brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians.”
“She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election,” the president wrote. “She is an old woman, and very sick. If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!”
Trump also called for Peters’ release in May, using similar rhetoric.
Griswold, in the interview, said she had no idea what Trump meant with his threat, saying it could just be “bluster” from the president. But she said because Peters was convicted in state court, there’s nothing Trump can do to unwind the jury’s decision.
“The president has absolutely no authority to issue a pardon,” Griswold said.
Last year, Peters was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, a count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with the secretary of state.
The former clerk was accused of using someone else’s security badge to give an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system. Prosecutors said Peters was seeking fame and became “fixated” on voting problems after becoming involved with those who had questioned the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election results.
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