High Country Advocate Staff
The U.S. Department of Justice has formally requested the Bureau of Prisons transfer former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters from Colorado state prison to federal custody—a highly unusual move signaling the Trump administration’s most aggressive intervention yet in what the president calls a case of political persecution.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent the request Wednesday evening, directing the Bureau of Prisons to “explore any and all avenues” to move Peters out of Colorado’s control. President Trump has repeatedly demanded Peters’ release, calling her “an innocent Political Prisoner” and ordering his DOJ to “take all necessary action” to free her.
Why This Matters
The transfer is unprecedented. Peters was convicted on state charges—seven counts including four felonies—yet federal authorities now work to assume custody. Legal observers point to three possibilities:
**Better medical care:** Peters, 70, suffers serious health issues including having lost half a lung to cancer. Her supporters say she’s deteriorating at La Vista Women’s Correctional Facility.
**Federal witness:** The transfer could facilitate her testimony before a federal grand jury investigating election-related matters.
**Prelude to release:** Moving Peters to federal custody may be the first step toward Trump’s stated goal of freeing her entirely.
How It Started: The FBI Raid and Federal Overreach
November 2021, 6 a.m.: FBI agents in combat gear forced entry into Peters’ home. Weapons drawn, they seized phones and computers. “They came in like soldiers—combat gear, weapons, pounding on the door. I was terrified,” Peters said.
Here’s the problem: Peters was ultimately charged entirely with state crimes, prosecuted by state prosecutors, in state court. So why was the FBI—a federal agency—conducting a military-style dawn raid on a 69-year-old county clerk for violations of state law?
This question cuts to the heart of federalism. If federal agents can raid your home for alleged state crimes, what limits remain on federal power?
The contrast is glaring: Peters got an FBI raid with combat gear for allegedly copying election data. When Colorado’s Secretary of State later posted actual voting system passwords online, there was no raid, no arrests, no charges—just an internal audit blaming a former employee who quietly left.
The Password Scandal
Speaking of that password breach: In October 2024, Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office was caught with BIOS passwords for voting equipment in 34 of Colorado’s 64 counties posted online. The passwords had been accessible since June.
Griswold called it “a serious mistake” by a civil servant who “no longer works there.” No criminal charges. County clerks weren’t notified for five days—they learned from media reports.
The contrast: Peters was prosecuted by the same office that committed its own security breach. Peters got nine years. The state employee got nothing. Peters is in prison. That employee simply left.
The Judge Who Made Her an Example
When Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced Peters on October 3, 2024, his theatrical performance sparked national controversy. Barrett called Peters “a charlatan” and lectured her about being “privileged.”
“You are as privileged as they come,” Barrett told the Gold Star mother who lost her Navy SEAL son. “And you used that privilege to obtain power, a following, and fame.”
His behavior was equally troubling. When Peters tried presenting her concerns, the judge visibly facepalmed, laughed at her, and cut her off. “I’ve let you go on enough about this,” he said dismissively.
Barrett made clear his goal wasn’t just punishment—it was deterrence. “I am convinced you would do it all over again if you could,” he said, justifying the harsh sentence as a message to others.
The nine-year sentence shocked legal observers. No leniency for her age, her status as a Gold Star mother, her health issues, or her clean record. Make an example of her—that was the point.
Trump’s Escalating Intervention
The DOJ transfer request represents an escalating timeline:
– **January 2025:** Trump’s executive order on “Ending the Weaponization of The Federal Government”
– **February 2025:** AG Pam Bondi’s memo establishing review of potential prosecutorial abuses
– **March 2025:** DOJ files Statement of Interest citing “substantial concerns about fairness, proportionality, and potential political bias”
– **May 2025:** Trump posts “FREE TINA PETERS, NOW!”
– **November 2025:** DOJ requests federal transfer
A Gold Star Mother Behind Bars
For Peters, this marks her second consecutive year in prison on her son’s birthday. Remington Peters, a U.S. Navy SEAL, was killed in a training accident.
“Today is the second year in a row that I have been in prison for the birthday of my precious Navy SEAL Remington,” Peters wrote recently. “All I can think of is his beautiful smile, his courageous spirit that made him the leader that he was, and the sacrifice that he and so many others made to preserve this great nation.”
Peters describes conditions at La Vista as inhumane: hourly flashlight checks disrupting sleep, processed food with no fresh vegetables, inadequate medical care requiring $3 fees per visit, and a $13 monthly wage barely covering hygiene products.
“The sacrifice that everyone in uniform makes to protect what so many take for granted dwarfs the 13 months that I have been in prison for upholding my duty,” she wrote.
Notably, four Navy SEALs currently serve in Congress: Reps. Eli Crane (AZ), Derrick Van Orden (WI), Ryan Zinke (MT), and Morgan Luttrell (TX). None have publicly spoken for the mother of a fallen SEAL teammate.
Colorado Fights Back
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser opposes federal intervention: “Tina Peters is in prison because of her own actions. A grand jury indicted her and a trial jury found her guilty of breaking Colorado’s criminal laws. No one is above the law.”
Weiser calls the DOJ’s involvement a “grotesque attempt to weaponize the rule of law.”
Yet critics note Weiser never explained why Peters deserved prosecution while the state employee who leaked passwords did not. Peters tried preserving election records before a software update she feared might eliminate evidence. The state employee posted actual system passwords online for months.
What Happens Next
The Bureau of Prisons must now determine whether it has authority to accept a state prisoner into federal custody. Such transfers typically require federal charges, a court order, state agreement, or extraordinary federal interests.
Peters has no federal charges. Colorado won’t agree voluntarily. That leaves the question of whether the DOJ will seek a court order or invoke some other federal interest.
The situation is unprecedented: a sitting president’s DOJ actively working to remove a state prisoner from state custody after that president publicly declared her a “political prisoner.”
The Bigger Question
Whether you view Peters as a whistleblower or a lawbreaker, uncomfortable questions remain:
Why was she prosecuted when the state made similar—or worse—mistakes? Why did a 69-year-old Gold Star mother receive nine years for allegedly exposing vulnerabilities, while the official who actually exposed passwords received nothing?
Why did the FBI conduct a dawn raid with combat gear for state charges? Why did a judge mock her from the bench and lecture her about “privilege”?
From her cell, Peters maintains she did what she believed was right: “The truth matters. The truth is why I am here in prison today.”
As the DOJ works to transfer her, the coming weeks will reveal whether the federal government can successfully intervene in a state criminal case, and whether President Trump’s personal interest translates into her freedom.
For now, Tina Peters remains at La Vista, marking time, remembering her son, and waiting.
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*Editor’s Note: The High Country Advocate has previously reported on Peters’ case, including her message on her son’s birthday and her status as a Gold Star mother and alleged political prisoner. Public records confirm the 2024 password leak by the Colorado Secretary of State’s office and the DOJ’s recent actions in Peters’ case.*
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**The High Country Advocate will continue providing updates on Tina Peters’ case until she is released from prison. We remain committed to covering this story and ensuring that her voice—and the voice of truth—is not silenced.**
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