Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a proponent of 2020 election conspiracy theories, was sentenced to 9 years behind bars for official misconduct related to a security breach in the county’s voting system. Peters allowed someone associated with MyPillow founder Mike Lindell access to election equipment by using another person’s security badge. Data, including passwords, were posted online and the machines had to be replaced. Prosecutors accused Peters of abusing her power and not protecting the election equipment as she should have. Peters maintains she did nothing wrong and was trying to protect the election’s security. She asked for probation, but was sentenced to prison. County officials said her actions cost over $1 million and led to death threats against election workers. Despite her claims of fraud, no bogus votes were ever identified. Peters ran for secretary of state in 2022 and lost in the Republican primary. She alleged fraud and demanded a recount, which resulted in only a small number of additional votes for her and the overall primary winner, Pam Anderson. Peters continued to deny wrongdoing and claimed she was doing her job, even though prosecutors argued she engaged in a treacherous scheme.
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