Prosecutors Push for Conviction in Election Security Breach Case

Prosecutors urged jurors to convict Tina Peters, a former clerk in Colorado, for her role in a security breach involving her county's election computers. During closing arguments, prosecutor Janet Drake accused Peters of seeking notoriety by misleading her employees into collaborating with outsiders linked to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a prominent figure in election conspiracy theories. Drake claimed Peters allowed an individual impersonating a county employee to capture images of the election system's hard drive during a software upgrade in May 2021, asserting that Peters misused her position to benefit herself. The defense countered that Peters had no criminal intent and was merely trying to preserve election records after being denied the presence of a technology expert during the software update. Defense attorney John Case argued that Peters needed to ensure the integrity of the voting system, suggesting that her actions were motivated by a desire to investigate potential foreign interference. The defense maintained that Peters did not commit identity theft by using the security badge of Gerald Wood, a local man, to facilitate the breach, claiming Wood was complicit in the actions. Peters' case marks a significant moment in the aftermath of the 2020 election conspiracy theories, as she is the first local election official charged with a suspected security breach. Following the trial, Peters was acquitted of identity theft and conspiracy charges but will be sentenced on October 3. In a social media post after the verdict, she accused Dominion Voting Systems of vote theft and vowed to continue her fight for what she claims is the truth.