Tina Peters, a county clerk who is running as a Republican for Colorado’s secretary of state, was charged Tuesday night with 10 counts r...
Tina Peters, a county clerk who is running as a Republican for Colorado’s secretary of state, was charged Tuesday night with 10 counts related to allegations that she tampered with election materials after the 2020 election.
The indictment, which the Mesa County, Colorado district attorney announced on Wednesday, relates to Ms. Peters’ work as the county’s election administrator, a role in which she promoted the false claims of former President Donald J. Trump that the election had been stolen.
A grand jury indicted Ms. Peters for felony and misdemeanor, including attempt to influence a public official, criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, identity theft, first-degree official misconduct , Breach of Duty and Disrespect of Secretary of State. Neither Ms. Peters’ campaign nor her attorney immediately responded to requests for comment.
The grand jury also charged Belinda Knisley, Ms Peters’ deputy, with six counts. A lawyer for Ms Knisley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ms Peters’ case was a stark example of how Republican-led revisions to the 2020 vote count prompted election security threats involving the integrity of voting machines, software and other equipment. that make up the country’s electoral infrastructure. And in running for secretary of state, Ms Peters has been an example of the brazenly partisan candidates claiming Mr Trump won the election and turning races across the country for the once little-known office.
In May 2021, authorities said, Ms Peters entered a secure area of a warehouse where voting machines were stored and copied hard drives and election management software from the machines. She is also accused of recording a voting machine maintenance procedure.
Then, in August, a conservative website posted passwords for Mesa County election machines. The indictment links the actions of Ms Peters and Ms Knisley to the password leak.
Ms Peters is running for Secretary of State against incumbent Jena Griswold, who is a Democrat.
Reid J. Epstein contributed report.
COMMENTS