A jury in Mesa County found Tina Peters guilty on Monday of seven out of ten criminal charges stemming from a security breach in the elections office during the spring of 2021. Peters, the former Mesa County clerk and recorder, faced charges related to her role in the incident.
The jury reached its verdict shortly after the conclusion of closing arguments. Peters was convicted of three felony counts for attempting to influence a public servant, one felony count of criminal impersonation, and several misdemeanor charges including official misconduct and failing to comply with the secretary of state. She was acquitted on two felony counts of criminal impersonation and one felony count of identity theft.
Following the verdict, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold issued a statement indicating that Peters deliberately compromised her election equipment in an attempt to support claims about the integrity of the elections process. Griswold emphasized the importance of maintaining secure elections and expressed pride in the justice served to Colorado voters.
The investigation into Peters began in August 2021 after it was discovered that sensitive election data had been made publicly available. In 2022, a grand jury in Mesa County charged her for allowing an unauthorized individual to enter the elections office to make copies of election-related software and obtain confidential information during a scheduled software update.
Prosecutors argued that Peters collaborated with various individuals affiliated with former President Donald Trump to carry out the actions that compromised the integrity of the election equipment. Notable figures involved included election conspiracy theorists and associates of Trump.
During the trial, it was revealed that Peters facilitated the entry of an unauthorized individual into secure areas of the elections department while misleading officials regarding the person’s identity. The defense attempted to argue that Peters’ actions were not malicious and suggested she believed she was operating under legitimate circumstances.
Defense attorneys highlighted Peters’ personal history and claimed that she acted out of a desire to protect election records, while the prosecution framed her actions as thoroughly deceptive and detrimental to the election process.
Colorado County Clerks Association representatives expressed relief at the jury’s decision, reaffirming their commitment to safeguarding fair elections. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asserted that the verdict serves as a warning against attempts to tamper with the electoral system.
Peters is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3.