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Prosecution Seeks Conviction of Former Colorado Clerk Tina Peters in Election Security Breach Case

DENVER — In a high-profile trial, prosecutors have called for the conviction of former Colorado clerk Tina Peters, alleging that she orchestrated a breach of her county’s election computer system. The prosecution argues that Peters misled government personnel, collaborating with outsiders linked to Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a well-known figure in promoting false election claims, in a bid for notoriety.

During the closing arguments at Tina Peters’ trial, prosecutor Janet Drake contended that Peters permitted an individual impersonating a county employee to photograph the hard drive of the election system around a software upgrade in May 2021. Drake alleged that Peters was actively seeking to position herself as a “hero” who would later feature prominently at Lindell’s symposium discussing alleged irregularities in the 2020 presidential election.

Lindell has been a vocal advocate for unfounded assertions that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Donald Trump, claims that have been widely discredited. As Drake stated, “The defendant was a fox guarding the henhouse. It was her job to protect the election equipment, and she turned on it and used her power for her own advantage.”

Drake is part of a team working for the district attorney in Mesa County, which has a predominantly Republican demographic and is situated near the state border with Utah.

As jurors prepared to deliberate, the defense maintained that Peters had not violated any laws but instead aimed to safeguard election records after being denied the presence of a county technology expert during the software update.

Defense attorney John Case emphasized that Peters sought to preserve pertinent data to verify any external interference in the voting process, questioning whether individuals from “China or Canada” had gained access to the systems during ballot counting. “And thank God she did. Otherwise we really wouldn’t know what happened,” he concluded.

Peters allegedly allowed Conan Hayes, a former pro surfer and associate of Lindell, to witness the software update and make copies of the hard drive using the security badge of Gerald Wood, a local figure who Peters claimed was an employee. While prosecutors allege that Peters engaged in identity theft by misusing Wood’s badge to conceal Hayes’s identity, the defense argues that Wood was aware of the actions and therefore, Peters did not commit any illegal acts.

Wood, who testified during the trial, denied any knowledge of wrongdoing. Political activist Sherronna Bishop, who played a role in connecting Peters with Lindell’s associates, testified that Wood was aware of his identity being used, based on conversations shared within a Secure chat application. However, the specifics of this agreement were not clearly outlined in the captured messages presented as evidence by the defense.

Following the initial data capture from the hard drive, Bishop indicated that she shared a voice recording within the chat, the contents of which were not included in the defense’s presented screenshots. A response attributed to Wood suggested he was pleased to assist but lacked detail about their arrangement.

Prosecutor Robert Shapiro pointed out inconsistencies in Bishop’s testimony, arguing that it lacked credibility.

Peters faces multiple charges, including three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, identity theft, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failure to comply with the Secretary of State’s regulations.

This case represents a significant example in the ongoing discourse around the 2020 election and its aftermath, being the first instance where a local election official has faced charges related to a suspected security breach of voting systems. It raises pressing concerns about potential insider threats, as rogue election workers sympathetic to misinformation could exploit their access to undermine the electoral process.

Source
abcnews.go.com