Former clerk Tina Peters has become a prominent figure in the election denial movement and President Donald Trump.
Published April 2, 2026
A Colorado appeals court has ordered the resentencing of former county clerk Tina Peters, who was convicted of participating in a U.S. election interference scheme.
The court on Thursday reversed Peters’ nine-year prison sentence, but not her conviction for aiding and abetting tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election.
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Her lawsuit has become a major source of support for President Donald Trump and the election denial movement, as it was revealed that she was seeking evidence to support Trump’s false claims that his 2020 loss was due to massive fraud.
In Thursday’s ruling, a three-judge appeals panel ruled that the sentence was unfair because the lower court took Peters’ personal beliefs into account when determining the punishment.
The appeals court stated that “the trial court’s comments regarding Ms. Peters’ belief in the existence of election fraud in 2020 went beyond considerations relevant to her sentencing.”
The panel cited comments from Judge Matthew Barrett, who accused Peters of being a “charlatan” promoting “snake oil” claims.
The appeals court said, “In the presence of such election fraud, her guilt was not her conviction, no matter how wrongly the trial court made its decision.” “This was a deceptive action on her part in an attempt to gather evidence of such fraud.”
Peters was convicted in August 2024 of helping someone outside the government gain access to and make copies of the Mesa County election system.
The individuals were part of efforts to overturn President Trump’s 2020 loss, and copies they obtained were shared on social media.
False claims that the 2020 election was marred by massive fraud remain a persistent obsession of Trump and his allies even after his successful re-election bid in 2024.
Trump’s efforts to remain in office after his 2020 defeat were the subject of a 2023 criminal complaint by former special counsel Jack Smith.
He alleged that Trump led a criminal conspiracy to undermine the election process and rally his supporters to overturn the results. However, because the U.S. Department of Justice has a policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents, these charges were eventually dropped when Trump was re-elected in 2025.
Since taking office, Trump has maintained that he won the 2020 election. He has also used the fraud allegations to demand greater control over the nation’s election infrastructure ahead of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
In December, the president pardoned Peters even though he was not in federal custody, but presidential pardon power does not extend to state crimes.
An appeals court panel found Thursday that Trump’s pardon did not affect state crimes.
The committee said it found no examples of the president’s pardon power being expanded in a way that would infringe on the sovereignty of individual states.
Gov. Jared Polis indicated last month that he might consider pardoning Peters.
