The Colorado Department of Corrections said Wednesday it is “not currently seeking a transfer” of Tina Peters to federal custody despite a request from the Trump administration.
The statement suggests Gov. Jared Polis’ administration has no plans to grant the request.
Peters, the Republican former Mesa County clerk, was sentenced in October 2024 to nine years in state prison after being convicted of orchestrating a 2021 plot to breach the security of Mesa County’s election system.
Polis is facing pressure from Democratic and Republican election officials in Colorado, as well as top Democrats, to issue a full-throated rejection of the Trump administration’s request. So far, the governor’s office has only signaled that it won’t transfer Peters into federal custody.
The governor also hasn’t indicated that he is entertaining the request.
The Colorado Department of Corrections said state law says transfers to federal prison from state prison can only be initiated by the state. That’s usually reserved for cases involving long-term safety and security needs.
Polis is also facing pressure from President Donald Trump, who has threatened retaliation against Colorado if Peters is not transferred or released from prison altogether.
“FREE TINA PETERS, WHO SITS IN A COLORADO PRISON, DYING & OLD, FOR ATTEMPTING TO EXPOSE VOTER FRAUD IN THE RIGGED 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION!!!,” Trump posted on social media this week.
Trump won handily in Mesa County in 2020. Peter’s breach of her county’s election system in search of election fraud didn’t reveal anything wrong with Colorado’s voting system that would have altered the results of any elections.
The Trump administration has also advocated for Peters’ release while she appeals her conviction in federal court.
KUNC reporter Lucas Brady Woods contributed to this report. KUNC and The Colorado Sun are part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.