Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters, who was the first local election official to be charged with a security breach after the 2020 election, has been found guilty by a jury on most charges. Peters was accused of allowing an expert affiliated with My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system using someone else’s security badge and deceiving officials about the person’s identity. Prosecutors stated that Peters became fixated on voting problems after associating with those questioning the 2020 election results. The breach Peters was charged with raised concerns about potential insider threats in elections. Peters was convicted of several charges, but acquitted of some related to identity theft.
Peters accused Dominion Voting Systems and state election officials of stealing votes in a social media post after the verdict. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General of Colorado both stated that the verdict served as a warning to others attempting to tamper with voting systems. Prosecutors argued that Peters deceived government employees to work with Lindell affiliates. The defense claimed that Peters only wanted to preserve election records after being denied a technology expert at a software update and did not commit any crimes.
During the trial, testimonies were provided by a former California surfer affiliated with Lindell, as well as a political activist who introduced Peters to individuals working with Lindell. The defense argued that the security badge owner was aware of the scheme, but the prosecution disputed this claim. The verdict came after closing arguments where prosecutors emphasized Peters’ deception and misuse of power. Peters is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3rd.
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