One-Time Hero and Former Colorado Clerk, Tina Peters Convicted in Computer Breach

By: Stephanie Bontorin | Published: Aug 16, 2024

A former Colorado election clerk, Tina Peters, has just been the first official charged with a security breach following an investigation into the 2020 presidential election. As wild conspiracy theories swirled around the internet for the past four years, some answers have finally been found.

Although Peters was a hero to election deniers during the Stop The Steal campaign, she has not been charged with interference in the official election and faces jail time.

The Accusations

Peters is accused of using someone else’s security badge to give an expert associated with the My Pillow chief executive, Mike Lindell, unfettered access to the Mesa County election system.

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She has also been charged with deceiving other election officials and gluing about the person’s identity.

Why Did She Do It?

The prosecutors in the case say that Peters sought fame and believed she could have become closer to RNC figureheads.

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Also, she has been accused of becoming “fixated” on voting problems after going down a rabbit hole of naysayers who believe that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that the validity of Joe Biden’s presidency should be questioned.

The Conviction

Part of the breach that Peters was a part of allowed outside concerns to force election workers to use their access and knowledge to launch an attack from within.

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She was officially convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of a conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state upon request during the investigation.

Not Guilty on Some Counts

Ultimately, the Colorado-based clerk was also found not guilty of identity theft, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, and one count of criminal impersonation.

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Peters’s legal team insisted that she did not use the security badge without the owner’s permission in these instances.

Final Sentencing

In the courtroom, Peters stood next to her legal team at the defense table as the verdict was read aloud in the quiet room.

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The case was presided over by Judge Matthew Barrett, and she will sentenced on October 3.

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Peters Is Doubling Down

Upon reflection of her guilty verdict and knowing that she will be sentenced to jail time, she took to social media platform X to share some similar views.

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She doubled down on her previous actions by accusing the Colorado-based Dominion Voting Systems, which made her county’s election system, and lawyers in the state officials of stealing votes from President Donald Trump. “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 said.

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Colorado Officials Are Holding Parties Accountable

The Colorado Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, who helped launch the first investigation into Peters, said that the clerk will now face the consequences for compromising her own election equipment “trying to prove Trump’s Big Lie.”

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Also, the Colorado Attorney General, Phil Weiser, said that the verdict will send a message to similar actors: “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. I want to be clear—our elections are safe and fair.”

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Damning Evidence from Prosecutors

In the closing arguments at the trial, one of the prosecutors, Janet Drake, stated that the former clerk allowed a man who was posing as a county employee to take photos of the election system’s hard drive before and after a software update in May of 2021.

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She also argued that Peters saw the update as a way to become a “hero” to the Stop The Steal followers and election deniers.

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Election Officials Should Be Impartial

When representing the federal or state government in matters of an election, it is the job of a clerk or official to be impartial in terms of the outcome of the election.

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“The defendant was a fox guarding the henhouse. It was her job to protect the election equipment, and she turned on it and used her power for her own advantage,” said Drake.

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Peters's Defense

The defense that Peters’s lawyers argued for her was that she was attempting to access voting system records to preserve true election results. However, because Peters felt so strongly about one candidate winning, it is assumed that she had less than honorable intentions.

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Her defense lawyer, John Case, said that to preserve the voting system and find out if anyone from “China or Canada” had access to the machine ballots, she needed to gain access to individual voting ballots.

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Jail Time Is Likely

At this point, Peters is likely to receive jail time for her involvement in the manipulation of election results and allowing outside parties access to official ballots and voter systems.

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Other actors participated in the interference who may face charges in the coming months.

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