Pardoned but still in prison? What’s really keeping Trump's ally Tina Peters locked up

US President Donald Trump pardoned Colorado’s former Mesa County clerk, Tina Peters, for her "attempts to expose Voter Fraud" in the 2020 presidential election in a Truth Social post on Thursday evening

Trump has been vocal about his intentions to free Peters — one of the nation’s most prominent 2020 election deniers — from her prison sentence, despite having no jurisdiction over state-level cases.

Trump previously threatened to retaliate against the state of Colorado if Peters was not released, Axios reported.

What Trump said?

Trump accused Democrats of ignoring violent crimes and said that the party chose instead to prosecute anyone they can find that wanted Safe and Secure Elections.

"For years, Democrats ignored Violent and Vicious Crime of all shapes, sizes, colors, and types. Violent Criminals who should have been locked up were allowed to attack again. Democrats were also far too happy to let in the worst from the worst countries so they could rip off American Taxpayers. Democrats only think there is one crime – Not voting for them! Instead of protecting Americans and their Tax Dollars, Democrats chose instead to prosecute anyone they can find that wanted Safe and Secure Elections," he said in a post on Truth Social.


"Democrats have been relentless in their targeting of TINA PETERS, a Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our Elections were Fair and Honest. Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for the “crime” of demanding Honest Elections. Today I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election!" he added.

Who is Tina Peters and what are her charges

Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters got involved with other activists who tried to prove Trump’s fraud claims by breaching voting systems in Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, and other states.

After which, she was convicted of several felonies for allowing fellow election deniers access to local voting systems in search of voter fraud in the 2020 election, repeating Trump's debunked claims.

Trump granted pardons but still she will stay in jail- why

Last week, a federal appeals court denied Peters' request for release from prison, the only ally of President Donald Trump behind bars for crimes related to the attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Last year, a state jury convicted her of participating in a criminal scheme with fellow election deniers to breach her county’s secure voting systems in hopes of proving Trump’s false claims of massive fraud.

Despite Trump pardoned her, she could not come out of jail because of the fact that presidential pardons do not apply to state convictions, CNN news reported.