GRAND JUNCTION, USA — Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk who rose to prominence for promoting false claims about the 2020 election, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday, October 3, 2024, for her involvement in a 2021 security breach of the county’s voting system.
In a case that prosecutors said undermined election security, Peters, convicted on multiple charges, including official misconduct, allowed unauthorised access to voting machines.
Judge Matthew Barrett condemned Peters as a “charlatan” who used her position “to peddle snake oil” and perpetuate lies about election fraud.
“Your lies are well-documented, and these convictions are serious,” Barrett said before handing down the sentence.
Peters was found guilty in August on four felony and three misdemeanour charges, including identity theft and conspiracy.
She had used another person’s security badge to grant access to a person linked to Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and a prominent election denier.
The breach led to the leak of sensitive data, including machine passwords, online, forcing Mesa County to replace its voting machines at a cost of over $1 million.
A Breach of Trust
Prosecutor Jessica Drake described Peters as “a fox guarding the henhouse,” highlighting the betrayal of her duty to protect election systems.
“It was her job to protect the election equipment, and she turned on it and used her power for her own advantage,” Drake said during the trial.
Despite the evidence against her, Peters maintained her innocence and portrayed her actions as an attempt to secure the integrity of the election.
“It is with a heavy heart that I hear the vile accusations and anger levied against me for what I did to protect the people of Mesa County,” she said during her sentencing, requesting probation rather than imprisonment.
Peters asserted that she only sought to preserve information that she believed was critical to ensuring election security.
However, Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, testified that Peters had legal avenues to achieve her goal without resorting to illegal actions.
“Her actions were not just illegal, they were treacherous,” Crane told the court, emphasizing the financial and reputational damage she caused to Mesa County.
No Remorse, Maximum Sentence
District Attorney Daniel Rubinstein asked the judge for the maximum sentence, citing Peters’ lack of remorse and her continued claims of widespread election fraud despite never producing evidence of a single fraudulent vote.
He also pointed to the death threats election workers received as a result of her false claims, which Peters spread as she travelled the country promoting her narrative.
“She continued to claim fraud where there was none, and it came at a great cost to the county and its people,” Rubinstein argued.
Peters ran for Colorado secretary of state in 2022 while under indictment but was defeated in the Republican primary.
After losing by 85,000 votes, she alleged fraud in that election as well and demanded a recount, which netted her an additional 13 votes, the same gain as the eventual primary winner, Pam Anderson.
As Peters begins her sentence, the case underscores the serious consequences of undermining public trust in election systems and the dangers posed by election conspiracy theories.
