Tina Peters Convicted For Election System Breach Linked to Election Conspiracy Theorist Mike Lindell

Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters was found guilty by a jury on charges relating to a breach of her county’s election computer system. Peters, who gained attention among election deniers, was accused of using someone else’s security badge to grant unauthorized access to the Mesa County election system.

The individual she allowed access was connected to Mike Lindell, the CEO of My Pillow and a prominent election conspiracy theorist. This case focused on Peters’ involvement in a scheme that allegedly sought to undermine the election system.

Prosecutors claimed that Peters deceived government employees to facilitate this breach, collaborating with individuals linked to Lindell to gain access to sensitive election data. Peters allegedly arranged for a man, pretending to be a county employee, to capture images of the election system’s hard drive both before and after a software upgrade in May 2021.

The prosecution argued that Peters hoped to gain recognition as a “hero” within the election conspiracy movement by participating in Lindell’s symposium, which focused on promoting doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.

The trial underscored the potential risks posed by insider threats within election systems. Janet Drake, a lawyer from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, stressed that Peters exploited her position as a clerk for personal gain, rather than protecting the election equipment, as was her duty.

This case was notable as the first prosecution of a local election official over a suspected security breach tied to conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election. It also raised concerns about the possibility of partisan election workers using their access to undermine election integrity.

In her defense, Peters’ lawyer, John Case, argued that Peters did not commit any crimes and was simply trying to preserve election records after being denied access to an expert during the software upgrade.

He claimed Peters’ actions were driven by a need to investigate potential tampering with the voting machines during ballot counting. However, prosecutors alleged that Peters used another person’s security badge to conceal the identity of Conan Hayes, a former surfer associated with Lindell, who copied the election data.

The involvement of other individuals further complicated the case. Political activist Sherronna Bishop testified that Gerald Wood, whose badge was used by Peters, was aware of the plan based on a Signal chat involving her, Peters, and Wood. However, there was no explicit agreement in the chat.

Despite the defense’s efforts, Prosecutor Robert Shapiro questioned Bishop’s credibility, and Peters now faces multiple charges, including identity theft, conspiracy, and misconduct in relation to her role in the security breach.