Tina Peters, a former Colorado county election official, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election. Peters, a Republican, was convicted in August 2023 on multiple counts, including attempting to influence a public servant and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation. She allowed unauthorized access to Mesa County’s election systems as part of efforts to support unproven claims of widespread voter fraud, which falsely suggested Donald Trump had been wrongfully defeated.
Prosecutors described Peters, 68, as becoming “fixated” on election integrity issues following the presidential election. Despite her not guilty plea, a jury found her guilty of seven out of ten charges. Judge Matthew Barrett condemned her actions, calling her a “charlatan” who exploited her position to spread baseless claims. Peters received eight and a half years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, with additional time in the Mesa County Detention Center. This case marks the first prosecution of a local election official over security breaches related to the 2020 election.
Tina Peters’ defense team likely explored various strategies during the trial, highlighting the complexities of white-collar crime and election interference cases. In high-profile cases like this, white collar defense attorneys in NYC or white collar criminal defense lawyers in New York play a critical role in navigating legal challenges surrounding fraud and misconduct. NYC lawyers are often called upon in complex criminal cases that involve public officials and election security issues.
In addition to Peters’ sentencing, the case has drawn attention to other figures connected to election fraud claims. Investigators also issued a search warrant for MyPillow founder Mike Lindell in connection to the case, showing how deeply intertwined these conspiracy theories became in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold reiterated the state’s commitment to safeguarding election integrity, stating that such actions threatening democracy will not be tolerated.