Convicted felon, sexual abuser and President Donald Trump is demanding Colorado release convicted felon and former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters from her 9 year prison sentence. The Sentinel’s headline about the demand portrays the matter as a “state vs. federal conflict,” but there really is no conflict at all. Trump has exactly zero legal authority to direct how Colorado handles any aspect of Tina Peters’ case since she was tried and convicted on state, and not federal charges.
The Sentinel consulted Ian Ferrell, an associate professor at the University of Denver Sturm School of Law, who specializes in criminal and constitutional law, about the validity of Trump’s demands. Ferrell called Trump’s statements “all hot air.”
A more accurate headline might have indicated that Trump’s demand amounts to authoritarian overreach by the executive, as well as being an uneducated and misguided effort to illicitly meddle in Colorado’s affairs.
The article also failed to convey more about the fuller context in which Trump issued his demand.
Since being inaugurated president, Trump has been on a lawless authoritarian rampage. He’s been working to turn the United States into a dictatorship by bypassing Congress and pumping out a record 145 executive orders that he’s been wielding like kingly decrees, rather than working with Congress to introduce and pass legislation to achieve his goals, the way policy has typically been made in a democracy. His actions have include dismantling and defunding federal agencies without first getting the legally-required approval of Congress, he has conducted an illegal mass-firing of inspectors general who protect the public interest, he has been using Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) like a gestapo, having them kidnap people off the streets of the U.S. — often people with no criminal records — detaining them and sending them to foreign prisons without any notice or due process. He has been declaring fake “emergencies” as a way to seize more executive power than he is entitled to; he’s been issuing executive orders to eliminate entire parts of the U.S. Constitution, and he’s been using his position to punish and extort and hundreds of millions of dollars in favors from private law firms that have represented his critics. He’s been using his position to attempt to extort private universities into adhering to his personal political views in what they teach and who they hire; he’s been using his position to enrich himself personally by selling meme coins (video) and charging people millions for access to him, and he’s been creating Trump-branded cryptocurrencies to enrich himself that are an open conduit for foreign bribes and corruption and more.
Republicans have been pushing Trump to extort Colorado over Tina’s incarceration
Members of the Colorado Republican Party have been pushing Trump to withhold federal funds from Colorado unless Governor Polis pardons Tina.
So far, Tina has not applied for a pardon, and Governor Polis has said he will not yield to blackmail. In a statement, Polis said,
“Quid pro quo or blackmail is not the way our system of laws work. Coloradans are federal taxpayers,” the statement said. “It’s repugnant to demand to withhold taxpayer money in exchange for a political favor.”
There are certian times I remember as clarifying. One was when Harry Reid admitted that he lied about Romney not paying his taxes. He followed that with “well, he didn’t win, did he?”
And we all just went about our business. No outrage, especially from the dems.
That is one of the reasons I laugh at the current outrage about Trump. You dems didn’t care that Biden was corrupt and senile as long as you were in power. But now that someone else is in power you have all become hand-wringers. It’s so disingenuous and comical.
Jefferson is said to have stated that we get the government we deserve. All that is happening now is a result of the thousands of things that have happened before this. It is endlessly fascinating if we don’t end up blowing ourselves up.
There was no outrage because you Republicans could never come up with any actual evidence of corruption or senility. Accusations aren’t enough.
Remember when Biden’s son got 2 billion dollars from Saudi Arabia? No, you don’t because it was Trump’s son-in-law.
Remember when Biden went golfing at his own resort and charged the Secret Service higher than standard rates for the facilities they used? No, you don’t because that was Trump.
Remember when the Republicans held seven investigations into Hilary Clinton’s e-mails and found all the evidence of wrong-doing? No, you don’t because they found nothing.
Remember when Biden fired the Attorneys General that were investigating him or his companies? No, you don’t because that was Trump.
Accusations from the right mean nothing, because they fail to back them up with evidence every time. But you believe it every time, and that’s why I call you gullible. You believe what you want to believe, no matter that there is no actual evidence of it. Trump is the most corrupt President we have ever had, and you ignore it completely. My bet is that you never even hear about it because your news sources won’t report it. You’re a rube, harry. A useful idiot who will believe what they tell you without question. You prove it over and over.
Just don’t call me a laughingstock.
🙂
Harry – it is not about Dems losing the election. It is about THIS man Trump! The constant lying, crimes, ego, lack of diplomacy, disregard for law, and overall ineptness/incompetence is unbelievable! How can you support such a leader?
I’ve answered this question multiple ways before. But I realize it’s more of a rhetorical question…like how can you walk around with spinach in your teeth?
I voted for him because I loath Hilary Clinton. I think he did a fine job during his first term despite being demonized by the press and the Nancy Pelosis and Adam Schiffs of the world.
At the bottom of the pile…I guess I like him because the right people hate him.
I see that the dems are relying solely on animus to Trump to make their case. I guess we’ll see how that turns out in the midterms.
A lot of people kinda like him and are sick of the whiny opposition.
Well, Trump isn’t running in the mid-terms. I think the people who voted for Trump on the economy, immigration, and scaling back government will not run to the ballot to oppose whiny mid-term opponents. They might cast their vote against trump loyalists because their economic, social, and economic situation is not as great as it was 2 years prior. I am surprised that you just shrug it off because you do not understand economics. I think we will either see stagflation hit us personally or the mass will be spooked by the fear. Joe and Kamala are out as a scapegoat. Trump will get pressure from the legislature as early as the primaries. This almost always happens in mid terms.
I am also wondering if the government has the money to deport 11 million. It looks like the $6 million for 238 prisoners comes in a little over $25,000 per year. Granted, that is less than half of what is costs to incarcerate them on US soil, but the US cost really does not go away because the deportation ports are always full of new prisoners in the pipeline. If you scale it to 238,000 which is a stretch to deport, then we’re talking 6 billion/year. If the worst of the worst are off the streets, then maybe it was worth it. But after that, you are spending resources to deport illegal immigrant who pose little threat. Their costs to all federal and state social programs is $8000 per year (emergency medicaid for any, and CHIP support for those with children families). If you stop giving out green cards totally and if you wave a magic wand that stop all due process/judicial restraint then deportation is still unaffordable in our current budget. You can argue redirecting foreign aid, but those savings were already earmarked for tax cuts.
I see the promise for peace in Ukraine, immigrant deportation, tax cuts, and economic transformation all as promises failed in 2027. Even if the Republicans hold the House, it will not be Republicans who fear the wrath of Trump. So what will he have to show as results besides pardoning the election deniers and keeping men out of the women’s boxing ring?
I agree that there is a lot up in the air.
I am hoping that there is enough intelligence in the electorate to see that big problems don’t get fixed overnight…despite Trump’s stupid hyperbole. (sometimes I want to slap him!)
I didnt say i dont understand economics…just not enough to make a statement about the efficacy of tariffs or the urgency of lowering the trade deficit. I’m kind of a Friedman free trade enthusiast. But that philosophy doesn’t exist in a vacuum and free trade probably doesn’t exist at all.
It’s interesting to see how one policy decision made decades before (like Carter’s community housing scheme) can affect t
a later economy (like the 2008 housing bubble)
As Thomas Sowell said…always ask “and then what?”
By the looks of it Trump has decided to get a lot accomplished before the midterms. He thinks that is the lesson he learned in his first term. After that, who knows? we might end up with two years of impeachment hearings.
I do know that currently all the dems have is fear porn about authoritarianism and due process violations. I wonder if enough people will care about the Maryland man to make a difference.
What if these big problems can’t be solved overnight, and they can’t be solved at all? Environmental collapse is one of these. Globalization and Automation are others. Maybe the answer is to at least stop feeding the beast. The beast is a metaphor for Trump.
It is hard to pass a Macroeconomics class without learning about tariffs and government policies on markets. It is why economics is a social science. Tariffs show up again in microeconomics in pricing theory.
Economics is not about Friedman is great because that big government socialist Keynes sucks.
Even Trump is starting to pivot on the tax cuts. Mike Johnson proposes raising taxes to 39.7 % for income over 5 million because spending cuts like Medicaid will not balance the budget.
A Tariff-induced recession will hit hard on Trumps’ quest for legacy and history. It looks like the Nobel Peace Prize over Ukraine and probably Iran is also slipping away.
Badhat, you need to rethink your understanding of history as well. Welfare moms didn’t cause budget deficits and debt of the 80’s. The Community Housing policy did not create the 2008 housing crisis and not even the Savings and Loan crisis of the 70’s. Trade deficits work as long as you have someone buying our debt.
It seems that Trump has enough money that he doesn’t care. I used to think he wanted to implement policy to fill his pocket. That probably describes Musk more than Trump because Trump as a narcissist, is only concerned with his legacy.
Here is what I would do.
First, remove this Executive immunity bullshit. Everyone needs to be held accountable for their actions. It could be replaced with limits on liability and malpractice.
Second, forget this craziness about how an injustice for 1 is an injustice for all. Philosophically, that is fine, but not in practice.
I could give a fuck if we trample all over an illegal immigrants expectation for privacy. It is not constitutionally protected. When they come to USA, they get biometric ID for authentication. They also consent to deportation and to where as a condition of coming here. This playing stupid or the victim card once you get caught is … stupid.
I am not into banning words, but I don’t like undocumented. They are illegal immigrants regardless of their excuses.
Everyone needs due process, but reduce the process to days rather than years. If the courts worked quickly, Trump would be in jail and not in the Oval Office. Same for illegal immigrants. Sanction attorneys who clog the system with specious arguments.
Stop trying to influence markets. The only thing holding this country together today is Jerome Powell.
Stop tariffs because the fines or punishments are not directed towards mitigation. Instead, put a huge environmental surcharge on the supply chain players. There is no reason for two ships carrying steel to pass by each other on the oceans. We should pay an environmental surcharge for airline travel.
Get out of the UN and sell the building in NYC. The OECD is in an economic, social, and likely military global war with the rest of the world as we speak. Time to protect the dollar because BRICS and the global south pose a persistent threat.
Income tax reform is probably not enough. We will probably eventually need a wealth tax. Badhat, that blue-collar wealth you worked so hard to accumulate is going back in the pot.
We will also need some sort of Universal Basic Income. That sounds quite Marxist, but I don’t see any way around it. Automation and AI are taking over the services sector. I doubt if we will find even a 30 hour work week in 10 years.
Limit the jurisdiction of local Federal judges to local cases like FBI cases, Public lands cases, and Financial crimes cases, but not global or National policy.
Well that’s a start. I wonder if I could do all of that in my first 100 days.
So the first part of your post is giving me a headache and reminds me of the one not long ago when you said you realized I’m not worth your time. You better watch your tone because I’m one of the few people here who can form a complete thought.
Sorry I didn’t take a macroeconomics class but I have read “the road to serfdom”
🙂
I’m just a lowly woodworker with an associates degree.
I like some of your takes…particularly about immigration.Too bad the laws can’t be changed retroactively. And never will be because.our Congress is paralyzed
And as far as not feeding the beast, Trump…I just don’t hate him. I don’t think he’s any worse than any other a$$hole who has held the office.
AND! he is outrageous enough that he might pull this off.
PS…don’t worry about environmental collapse…they have determined that the Antarctica ice sheet is growing.
And then there’s this little gem of a paragraph…
“Badhat, you need to rethink your understanding of history as well. Welfare moms didn’t cause budget deficits and debt of the 80’s. The Community Housing policy did not create the 2008 housing crisis and not even the Savings and Loan crisis of the 70’s. Trade deficits work as long as you have someone buying our debt”
I never said anything about welfare moms and yes…the reckless loaning practices did lead to the 2008 crash.
You might be the one who needs a history lesson.
Calm down!
Any of Trump’s executive orders can be challenged in court.
The only way Trump has any power over private universities is because they get taxpayer funding. That’s why places like Hillsdale College don’t take the money. NPR is vulnerable because they are taxpayer funded. I imagine all of these issues are going to end up in the Supreme Court eventually.
They’re going to be very busy.
I’m still looking for news about the civil rights division of the DOJ looking into the Peters’ prosecution.
Hameet Dhillon is a smart cookie and she will be fair. I’d love to see her take on Barrett and Rubenstein.
But it won’t have the force of law…more like an inspector general report.
CHallenged in court? Like the unanimous Supreme Court decision to return Abrego Garcia?
You can challenge them all day long, and win. But if he ignores them, what else is there? Your hero is a dicator.
From what I have read, they were ordered to facilitate, which they say they have done. They know how to play the game and I would venture to say they learned that from the left. “It depends on what is is.” It’s not so much fun when the shoe is on the other foot, is it? Gone are the days of good faith actors. Politics have taken over.
I know you think it’s clever to say Trump is my hero, but you are wrong. I see him as a disruptor and in my opinion, there are hundreds if things that need disrupting.
What did they say they did? Trump sat with the president of El Salvador and laughed while Bukele refused to release him. Trump did nothing, and the Republicans let him get away with defying the Supreme Court. And you’;re fine with it because you “read” that he tried. You give up pretty easily when you’re not the one being sent to a foreign prison without being convicted of a crime. Funny how you keep forgetting that.
You nor I know where Garcia is at the moment. The last thing I witnessed was lunch with VanHollen.
Garcia was fine with manipulating the government about his being in the US. He never imagined that it could come back to bite him. He is a person who is used to this kind of chaos and he is hardly just a Maryland man.
One thing I do know is he entered the country illegally. I think it would be great if he were just let free in El Salvador.
And maybe, this will be a cautionary tale to all of those loophole lawyers and judges that they should be more careful when they assust people in skirting the law.
A senator saw him in the prison. We know where he is, and we know he was never convicted of a crime, but you’re okay with leaving him there. Got it.
Jackpot ! I can argue against both Badhat and Scott.
Badhat, it does not make sense to approve of Authoritarian behavior because anything unconstitutional can be challenged it in court. Like me, you state that the immigration court system is slow and dysfunctional because of frivolous arguments and judge shopping.
At the end of the day, this is blackmail in the least. And I suppose that he will use DOGE to simply reduce and reallocate former Dept. of Ed. funds. Strange. He has the Zionist community behind him on the Columbia and Harvard battles with a broader base from the anti-immigration majority. But who supports Tina? Election denying Republicans in a blue state? Anyway, I guess it is a red county.
I say have Polis talk trash back to Trump. Threaten to secede. Make Colorado an immigration friendly country. That wall will be expensive to build crossing the Continental Divide, and Colorado won’t pay for it. But you can charge the hell out of foreigners for a tourist visa. And put tariffs on Arkansas, Rio Grande and Colorado river water imports.
Scott, it’s a different situation. The courts ruled to return Garcia. The courts can’t force Trump to blackmail El Salvador if El Salvador does not want to return him. So, even if Trump says he can, short of a declaration of war and invasion, Trump does not have to force it. But maybe Congress could defund them.
I’m not “approving” of authoritarian behavior. I am pointing out that our system is set up to counteract it. Thank goodness.
I agree that this is expensive (and exhausting in all respects) but this is the system we’re stuck with. As Obama said, “this is what democracy looks like.”
Just when one side thinks it”s won, something or someone comes along and says, “not so fast.”
As far as Tina goes…she got talked into a lot of stupid decisions but it’s my feeling that instead of a proper punishment for that she was made an example of and people were delighted. I must admit that I’d like to see them disappointed. I don’t know enough about the law to say if the way the case was presented was allowable. I have yet to see the agreements made before triak but I think Barrett’s commentary at sentencing was enough to at least put her sentence in question and I’m very glad it’s being questioned.
Our system is set up to counteract authoritarian behavior. But it depends on all three branches doing their job, and that isn’t happening. The Republican Congress is deciding to allow Trump to be authoritarian, and people like you are allowing them to get away with it. That’s the problem.
I watched Tina’s entire trial. Her defense never once tried to show she didn’t do it. They never once tried to argue that the prosecution’s case was weak. Time and time again they tried to argue that she was justified is doing what she did because of the big “conspiracy”. Unfortunately, the case wasn’t about whether she was justified. It was about whether she did it, and the jury found that she did, at least with regard to most of the charges. It is quitye possible, nearly certain, even, that she was talked into a lot of things. So have you. But she was the County Clerk, and the responsibility to protect our voting systems was hers, and she failed in that responsibility. She used Gerald Wood’s identity to allow someone without the required security clearance access to the voting machines. This is illegal, and is not in question.
You can rant all you want about the judge’s commentary, but he wasn’t the one who found her guilty. The jury did that. He was the one who gave her a lighter sentence than he could have, and he was the one who kept the trial focused on the law and not the conspiracy theories that the defense continuously tried to distract with.
It was clear from the outset that she did it. That was not in dispute.
I agree that she committed a crime. But I do not agree that her reasons were irrelevant.
All the hoopla about the cost to the county was overblown. Did you know that Dominion gave the new machines to Mesa County? I ask because most of the reporting says otherwise. And I think the costs didn’t have to be that large but were inflated to make her look worse. As I said, we shall see.
Hopefully nothing depends on all three branches doing their job. That’s 6th grade civics class talk.
We’re dealing with a bunch of self interested, calculating parties here.
The best way to look at it is, no one will be able to seize the reins.
Democracy depends on it.
Maybe democracy depends on always taking into consideration the frailties of human beings and designing a system that allows the maximum freedom and delivers consequences.
Trump isn’t out of the woods. It would seem that democrats should be figuring out their next candidate.
Maybe Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin or Eric Swallwell?
🙂
The courts ruled that the Trump administration should facilitate his return. Trump refused. And there are a lot of things the President of a large country like the US can do short of invasion to pressure a small country like El Salvadorto release a man who was deported wrongly, and imprisoned without a conviction. But for some reason a lot of people in this country just want to throw their hands up and surrender. Curious.
Who are the state Republicans who are pushing Trump to extort Colorado funding unless Peters is pardoned?
Coloradians should be outraged & express this to those Colorado R reps!
It’s the Colorado state republican party…not the elected representatives.
One of them was Colorado GOP Chair candidate and current Director of Special Initiatives, Darcy Shoening, suggested Trump withhold some federal funding from Colorado until Polis pardons Peters.
Unbelievable!
This woman cost Mesa County taxpayers SO MUCH money and made us a laughing stock nationwide!
Thank GOD this case was tried by state & Feds cannot interfere. What drives me crazy is all the reference to area Republicans (DA, jury, commissioners, McInnis, etc) convicting her. I know they are trying to show non-bias justice but what IF our area was Democrat leaning? R/D shouldn’t make a difference – she was tried & convicted appropriately . 9 yrs. And 9 yrs was lighter than what she could have got!
I hope this Trump rant is shut down quickly & he is held accountable for his illegal interference in this and so many others. SO SO many!