Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was sentenced to 9 years in prison for charges including official misconduct related to a security breach of the county’s voting system in 2021. Peters allowed someone associated with MyPillow founder Mike Lindell access to election equipment, resulting in the county’s machines needing to be replaced after data, including passwords, were posted online. Prosecutors accused Peters of using her position for personal gain and called her a “charlatan.” Despite her claims of innocence, Peters was found guilty of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
Peters argued that she was trying to protect the integrity of the election, but prosecutors and county officials disagreed, noting that her actions cost the county over $1 million. The district attorney asked for the maximum sentence due to Peters’ lack of remorse and failure to provide evidence of widespread fraud. Peters also faced backlash for promoting election conspiracy theories and allegedly inciting death threats against election workers.
After her indictment, Peters ran for secretary of state in 2022 but was defeated in the Republican primary. She claimed fraud in that election as well and demanded a recount, which resulted in only a few additional votes for her and the overall winner. Despite her claims of innocence and attempts to appeal the verdict, Peters will serve a 9-year prison sentence for her role in the security breach and official misconduct.
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