Tina Peters sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for 2020 election security breach

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Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has been sentenced to 8.5 years in prison following her conviction on multiple charges related to a 2020 election security breach. The sentencing was handed down by Colorado District Court Judge Matthew Barrett on Thursday. In addition to the prison term, Peters, 68, was also sentenced to six months in a county detention facility.

Peters was found guilty in August on seven charges, including four felonies and three misdemeanors. The charges included conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty, failing to comply with the secretary of state, and first-degree official misconduct. The court also imposed several fines on her, and the sentence may be appealed.

Prosecutors successfully argued that Peters used a security badge without permission to allow Conan Hayes, who was associated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, to access the county’s election system. Peters admitted to using a county employee's identity to help Hayes copy the hard drive of a ballot marking machine in May 2021 before a software update.

Peters and her legal team contended that she was attempting to preserve election records, claiming that election information was deleted following the update. However, the court rejected this defense, leading to her conviction.