UPDATE
Oct 4, 2024 12:00 AM CDT
The former clerk of a Colorado county who tampered with voting machines was on Thursday sentenced to nine years behind bars. Tina Peters, who messed with the machines in an unsuccessful attempt to show the 2020 presidential election had been rigged against Donald Trump, was at the time a hero to election deniers. But the judge said Thursday, per the New York Times, "You are no hero, you abused your position and you are a charlatan. You cannot help but lie as easy as you breathe." Peters apologized before being sentenced, but continued to claim the machines had been rigged in some way. The courtroom was packed to overflow capacity for the sentencing hearing, Colorado Public Radio reports.
Aug 13, 2024 7:17 AM CDT
Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters, the first local election official to be charged with a security breach after the 2020 election as unfounded conspiracy theories swirled, was found guilty by a jury on most charges Monday. Peters, a one-time hero to election deniers, was accused of using someone else's security badge to give an expert affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system and deceiving other officials about that person's identity. Lindell is a prominent promoter of false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Donald Trump. His online broadcasting site has been showing a livestream of Peters' trial and sending out daily email updates, sometimes asking for prayers for Peters and including statements from her, per the AP.
Prosecutors said Peters was seeking fame and became "fixated" on voting problems after becoming involved with those who'd questioned the accuracy of the 2020 election results. The breach Peters was charged with orchestrating heightened concerns over potential insider threats, in which rogue election workers could use their access and knowledge to launch an attack from within. Peters was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state. She was found not guilty of identity theft, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, and criminal impersonation.
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In a post on X after the verdict, Peters accused lawyers for state election officials, as well as Colorado-based Dominion Voting Systems, which made her county's election system, of stealing votes. "I will continue to fight until the Truth is revealed that was not allowed to be brought during this trial. This is a sad day for our nation and the world. But we WILL win in the end," she noted. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said Peters' conviction sent a message. "Today's verdict is a warning to others that they will face serious consequences if they attempt to illegally tamper with our voting processes or election systems," he said in a statement. "I want to be clear—our elections are safe and fair." Peters will be sentenced Oct. 3. More here.
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