Trump's authority to pardon
“... he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”
The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.
The Congress of the United States also has the power to pass appropriate legislation, in pursance of Amendments 15, 19, 24, and 26, to ensure that the right of the people 18 years of age or older to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color, sex, age, previous conditions of servitude or failure to pay taxes.
Any offenses against national election integrity are therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the United States generally, and to the power of pardons issued by the President of the United States.
Trump signs formal pardon for Tina Peters, lawyer claims it applies to state charges
President Donald Trump signed a formal pardon for Tina Peters, according to Peter Ticktin, her Florida-based attorney, who shared the pardon document with Newsline on Friday. ¶The document, which appears to be dated Dec. 5, says it grants “a full and unconditional pardon” for “those offenses she has or may have committed or taken part in related to election integrity and security during the period January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021.” ¶The pardon applies to Peters’ conviction on state charges, Ticktin said. The charges related to Peters’ role in a 2021 security breach when she was the Mesa County clerk.
The President has the power of pardoning “Offences against the United States.” Trump’s pardon, and Peter Ticktin’s motion to compel the State of Colorado to release Tina Peters, are based on the fact that offenses related to the integrity and security of a national election are indeed offenses against the United States, and are thus subject to the power of presidental pardons, regardless of whether such offenses are prosecuted (or not as the case may be) in state or federal court.
There may be and indeed are other grounds to free Tina Peters even without a Presidential pardon, one being that no individual state has the jurisdiction in the first place to try crimes committed against the integrity of a national election.
And even so, Presidential pardons definitely cover state crimes, each state being legally part of the United States.