News -- March 9, 2022: A grand jury in Colorado has indicted Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters
and her deputy on counts related to election tampering and misconduct.
The indictment of Peters and Deputy Clerk Belinda Knisley on felony and misdemeanor charges stems from an election security breach in their office last year.
In May 2021, Peters allowed an unauthorized person access to the county's voting machines. That person posted sensitive information related to the equipment online.
According to the indictment, Peters contacted the Secretary of State’s Office asking to inspect voting equipment in the county. On May 6, 2021, employees at the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder’s Office allowed an unauthorized person access to the voting equipment, who then posted sensitive information online. Peters later called the Secretary of State’s Office back, saying it was a “misunderstanding."
A joint statement by Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said: "This investigation is ongoing, and other defendants may be charged as we learn more information. We remind everyone that these are allegations at this point and that they are presumed innocent until proven guilty."
The 10 counts against Peters include: attempting to influence a public service, criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, identity theft, official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with the secretary of state. The charges against Knisley include criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and official misconduct.
The county uses Dominion Voting Systems, the company at the heart of many of former President Donald Trump promoting conspiracy theories, used its voting machines to transfer millions of votes from Trump to Biden.
Editor's Note: A criminal charge is an accusation, by law, a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven in a court of law.
wnctimes by Marjorie Farrington