Tina Peters, a proponent of election conspiracy theories, has been sentenced to nine years in prison by a judge in Colorado.
- Key Highlights
Tina Peters, the former clerk of Mesa County, Colorado, received a nine-year prison sentence for offenses connected to a violation of her county’s voting system.
Peters promoted the unfounded conspiracy theory claiming that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden as a result of ballot fraud.
She faced allegations of permitting an expert associated with My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, a prominent advocate of the Trump election conspiracy theory, to access the voting system. 
Tina Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk and Colorado Republican candidate for Secretary of State, responded to early election results during a primary night gathering at the Wide Open Saloon in Sedalia, Colorado, on June 28, 2022.
On Thursday, Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison for offenses related to a breach of her county’s voting system. This follows her promotion of the unfounded conspiracy theory that former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election due to ballot fraud.
State District Court Judge Matthew Barrett addressed Peters directly, stating, “You are no hero. You’re a charlatan who used and is still using your prior position in office to peddle a snake oil that’s been proven to be junk time and time again.”
Judge Barrett emphasized the seriousness of her actions, noting, “Your lies are well documented, and these convictions are serious. I’m convinced you’d do it all over again if you could.” Peters, 68, was accused of allowing unauthorized access to her county’s election system by using another individual’s security badge.
The individual who gained access was associated with Mike Lindell, the CEO of My Pillow and a prominent advocate of the unfounded claims regarding ballot fraud in Trump’s election loss.
“You’re as defiant a defendant as this court has ever seen,” Barrett remarked to Peters.
Prior to her sentencing, Peters, who had sought probation, asserted to the judge, “I’ve never done anything with malice to break the law. I’ve only wanted to serve the people of Mesa County.”
Tina Peters, the former clerk of Mesa County, Colorado, was present during her trial on Friday, March 3, 2023, in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Mesa County District Attorney Daniel Rubenstein informed Barrett that Ms. Peters has consistently shown a lack of recognition regarding her wrongdoing.
He stated, “She provided a statement to the court in the pre-sentence investigation report, offering excuses and justifications, yet she has never admitted to any misconduct or acknowledged that her actions were inappropriate.”
Rubenstein further emphasized, “Every 12-step program begins with the acknowledgment of a problem, which she has failed to do. There is no value in rehabilitation for an individual who does not believe they have erred.”
Following Barrett’s denial of her attorney’s request for her release, Peters was taken into custody. In August, a trial jury found her guilty on seven criminal charges, including attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty, and failure to comply with the requirements set by the secretary of state.
Former President of the United States and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addressed supporters during a campaign rally held at the Ryder Center for Health and Physical Education at Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan, on October 3, 2024. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
Prior to her sentencing, Matt Crane, the director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, informed Barrett that Peters’ unfounded claims “in a real and specific way … have led directly to death threats and general threats to the lives and the families of the people who work in our elections.”
“She has willingly supported individuals in our nation who believe that violence is an acceptable means of expression,” Crane stated. “She has intentionally stoked a fire among those who resort to threats to achieve their objectives.”
Following Peters’ sentencing, Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, remarked to rally attendees in Michigan that regarding the 2020 election, “We won, we won, we did win.”
“It was a rigged election,” Trump asserted.
“That’s why I’m running again. If I believed I had lost, I wouldn’t be pursuing this again,” Trump stated, as he competes against Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in the current presidential election.
Trump is currently facing criminal charges in federal court in Washington, D.C., as well as in state court in Atlanta, related to his attempts to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
