By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice
A 69-year-old grandmother with no prior record is serving nearly a decade in prison. Now, Donald Trump and Lauren Boebert are calling her what they believe she is: a political prisoner.
Rep. Lauren Boebert is demanding federal action on behalf of Tina Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk sentenced to nine years in prison over her efforts to preserve election records following the 2020 election. In a March 21 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Boebert called the case a “staggeringly harsh” example of political prosecution and urged the bureau to investigate potential violations of Peters’ civil rights.
“This is about justice and freedom,” Boebert said during a May 7 appearance on The Jeff and Bill Show, hosted by Jeff Hunt and RMV’s own Tori Ganahl. “Nine years is far too long for this woman.”
Peters, 69, is currently being held at the La Vista Correctional Facility a women’s state prison in Pueblo, where she has reportedly suffered declining health, including memory loss, weight loss and cognitive issues.
In her letter, Boebert warned that Peters “requires monitoring for potential recurrence of her lung cancer” and described her incarceration as “cruel and unusual punishment.” She also alleged that pastors seeking to minister to Peters have been denied access.
“She has deteriorated mentally during her incarceration, in addition to incurring weight loss,” Boebert wrote. “In short, Ms. Peters is suffering horribly and unjustly.”
The letter, which Boebert shared on social media with the message “FREE TINA PETERS, NOW!”, also noted that Peters’ conduct “did not alter any election, nor did it change even one vote.”
FREE TINA PETERS, NOW! https://t.co/lK7Dm0v2jX pic.twitter.com/n8ZRuCxItB
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) May 6, 2025
‘This is personal to Colorado—and to President Trump’
Boebert told listeners that former President Donald Trump has taken a direct interest in Peters’ case. “President Trump on several occasions has simply said, ‘Get her out,’” she said. “A nine-year sentence is almost a life sentence.”
Although Trump cannot issue a pardon because Peters was convicted of state – not federal – charges, Boebert said the former president and his team are watching Colorado’s actions closely. “President Trump is not going to play nice with a state that behaves this way,” she said.
“Griswold released passwords for nearly every single county in Colorado… yet Tina Peters is in jail because of the same thing,” Boebert said. “Griswold gave the orders to have the book thrown at her.”
DOJ review adds weight to calls for intervention
Boebert’s request for an FBI investigation follows a March 3 filing by the U.S. Department of Justice in support of Peters’ federal habeas corpus petition. In its statement of interest, DOJ attorneys expressed concern over the severity of Peters’ sentence and flagged Judge Matthew Barrett’s comments during sentencing.
“The judge accused her of ‘undermin[ing] democracy’ and claiming that she had ‘preached lies,’” Boebert wrote in her letter. “It is disturbing that Judge Barrett would raise this constitutionally protected activity in imposing sentence.”
She also cited federal civil rights statutes – 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 and 242 – as potential grounds for investigation and referenced Trump’s Executive Order 14147, which aims to end the “weaponization” of federal agencies.
Jeff Hunt fires back at critics on air
During the broadcast, Hunt read a text message from a listener who questioned whether Peters’ case really represented political persecution, pointing out that she was prosecuted by a Republican district attorney and sentenced by a judge thought to be conservative.
Hunt immediately dismantled the argument.
“Nine years, right? Probation maybe, maybe 30 days. We heard that yesterday… but nine years in a state that gives probation to child rapists?” Hunt said. “Guys, come on.”
He then pointed to Griswold’s actions as a glaring inconsistency.
“If the passwords are out there, it’s a violation of law. And if Jena Griswold’s gonna get nothing… no charge, not even a slap on the wrist… and she gets to run for Attorney General? Come on.”
The listener had argued that Peters was unrepentant, but Hunt rejected that as justification for the punishment.
“You’re gonna send a person to jail… a grandma… with zero criminal record… with a son who died serving this country… to nine years?” he said. “This is political prosecution, guys. And Donald Trump’s exactly right on this.”
Hunt added that if Colorado officials were concerned Peters would seek elected office again, they should trust voters to decide – not the courts.
“She was put there by the people. If you’re concerned she’s going to be back in office – well, there’s an election. The voters get to determine that, not you.”
The pressure campaign grows
Boebert concluded her appearance with a warning that federal resources – including funding – could be pulled if the state continues to defy due process.
“There needs to be a conversation that happens in Larimer County,” she said. “I represent Larimer County, and I don’t want to see those constituents harmed by resources being taken… but we have got to come to some sort of an agreement here.”
As national figures like Trump and Boebert take up Peters’ cause and federal scrutiny of her case deepens, the legal and political battle over her imprisonment appears far from over.
Boebert called Peters “just another victim of horrible policies in Colorado,” citing examples ranging from jail conditions and alleged religious discrimination to state-level election security laws. “President Trump is not going to play nice with a state that behaves this way.”
If you missed the May 7 broadcast of The Jeff and Tori Ganahl Show, you can watch the full segment on YouTube here.