As Colorado reeled from
in its history, President Trump seemed to be focused on MAGA warriorPeters was a top election official who used her position to chase Mr. Trump's baseless claim that rigged voting machines cost him the 2020 election.
uncertain
machines → reel → election
to nearly nine years behind bars, and Mr. Trump was determined to see her freed by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
asserted
her → determine → Polis
The way Mr. Trump went about demanding Peters' freedom, critics say, raises questions about how far he'll go to advance his agenda — and what he'll do to punish those in his way.
asserted
he → go → way
The president is now facing a lawsuit filed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser's office, which helped convict Peters in connection with compromising voting machines.
asserted
which → face → machines
Weiser said Mr. Trump is "using bullying, using threats to take away our sovereignty.
asserted
Trump → say → sovereignty
[The] president doesn't get to tell us what to do.
asserted
president → get → what
That's for us to decide.
asserted
us → decide → ?
The official who oversees Colorado's elections is Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat.
asserted
who → oversee → State
She alleges Peters helped an unauthorized individual to pose as a county employee, gave him access to secure voting equipment and allowed him to copy proprietary software.
asserted
him → allege → software
"Tina Peters ordered that her video surveillance cameras be turned off, and then took images of the voting equipment and shared it with a network of election deniers," Griswold said.
asserted
Griswold → order → deniers
Griswold discovered the breach when copies of the data surfaced at a conference devoted to claims of election fraud.
uncertain
copies → discover → fraud
Peters spoke at the event.
asserted
Peters → speak → event
Peters was charged with obstruction for refusing to cooperate with an investigation into the voting machine breach.
asserted
Peters → charge → breach
She was indicted a month later on 10 criminal counts, which elevated her standing among election skeptics even higher.
asserted
which → indict → skeptics
After a two-week trial, a jury found her guilty of state charges: three misdemeanors and four felonies.
asserted
her → find → charges
Mesa County District Court Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced Peters to nearly nine years in prison.
asserted
Barrett → sentence → prison
You abused your position, and you're a charlatan," Barrett said in court.
asserted
Barrett → abuse → court
"I'm convinced you would do it all over again if you could.
uncertain
you → do → it
You're as defiant as a defendant as this court has ever seen.
asserted
court → see → defendant
Did the White House punish Colorado for imprisoning Peters?
asserted
House → punish → Peters
Weiser, a Democrat, said it's clear the president decided to punish Colorado because he didn't like that Peters was convicted and sentenced in the state.
asserted
Peters → say → state
Last year, as a wildfire ravaged Colorado, the president promised "harsh measures" if Peters was not released.
asserted
Peters → ravage → measures
"And then the consequences started to follow," Weiser said.
asserted
Weiser → start → ?
Federal wildfire aid was denied — something the White House insists had nothing to do with Peters.
"There is no politicization to the president's decisions on disaster relief," spokesperson Lauren Bis said.
asserted
Bis → deny → relief
But wildfire aid wasn't the only area where the state was hit.
asserted
state → hit → ?
The Trump administration threatened to withhold food aid from the state's neediest families, canceled $109 million in transportation funding, and moved to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.
asserted
administration → threaten → Boulder
The Trump administration described the actions as a series of independent agency decisions.
asserted
administration → describe → decisions
"The threats were not hidden, they were not subtle, they were out in the open, and we're fighting back," said Weiser, who's suing the president, alleging a retaliation campaign.
asserted
who → hide → campaign
Mr. Trump called Peters a "hostage being held in a Colorado prison by the Democrats for political reasons."
asserted
Trump → call → reasons
He also called her a patriot.
asserted
He → call → her
"I feel like we're in 'Alice in Wonderland.'
asserted
we → feel → Wonderland
When someone breaks the law, they're not a patriot," Weiser said.
asserted
Weiser → break → law
"When someone seeks to undermine the integrity of our elections, lying about it, that's not a patriotic act.
asserted
that → seek → it
That's undermining the core, the foundation of a democratic republic."
asserted
That → undermine → republic
The president
, but it had no legal effect since she was convicted on state charges, not federal ones.
asserted
she → have → charges
He continued to praise Peters while tearing into Colorado lawmakers, calling Polis a "weak and pathetic man" and referring to him as a "sleazebag governor.
asserted
He → continue → governor
"Peters' sentence commuted
In May, after Peters had served less than two years,
uncertain
Peters → commute → years
."Look, she should've gotten a year, two years, three years," Polis told 60 Minutes.
asserted
Polis → ."look → Minutes
"When she got close to nine years, I was shocked."
asserted
I → get → years
The Colorado County Clerks Association said in a statement that they were "furious" and "disgusted" by the commutation.
asserted
they → say → commutation
…and 38 more, not listed.
The Aporia
