Former Colorado election official convicted for tampering with voting machines in 2020 election
A Colorado jury on Monday convicted Tina Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, on multiple charges related to tampering with voting machines in a bid to support false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
Peters was found guilty on seven of 10 counts, including charges of attempting to influence a public servant and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, according to The Washington Post. The case centers around her actions in 2021 when she allowed an outsider to copy sensitive voter data from her office.
Tampering to support false election claims
The jury in Grand Junction took nearly five hours to deliberate before determining that Peters had facilitated a breach of a voting machine manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems. In May 2021, she helped an outsider gain unauthorized access to the machine, which led to the theft of sensitive data. This data was later presented publicly at a conspiracy-laden event hosted by Mike Lindell, a Trump ally and CEO of MyPillow, as reported by The New York Times.
A conspiracy involving a fake identity
Peters’ accomplice, Conon Hayes, a former professional surfer turned computer expert, was identified during the trial as the individual who accessed the voting machines. Peters had falsely identified Hayes as Gerald Woods, a county technology expert she had recently hired, to facilitate his access.
Once inside, Hayes obtained county passwords and accessed sensitive information related to Dominion’s voting software.
Sentencing looms
Peters is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3 and could potentially face prison time for her role in the conspiracy. The case underscores the serious legal consequences faced by individuals who attempt to undermine election integrity.
