A rural Colorado county courthouse beefed up security Friday after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to nearly nine years behind bars and admonished her for her role in a data breach scheme catalyzed by the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.
Courthouse staff in Grand Junction, Colorado, received multiple threats that were being vetted by law enforcement while extra security was provided, said spokesperson Wendy Likes with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.
She did not say how many threats were made or how they were received. She also declined to describe the extra security.
The court received compliments as well as threats for Judge Matthew Barrett’s sentencing of Peters, Will Sightler, the court executive of the 21st Judicial District, said in a statement Friday. He didn’t elaborate on what the compliments said.
Peters, a Republican, was sentenced Thursday for allowing access to the county’s election system to a man affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell — a prominent promoter of false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election.
The one-time hero to election deniers, who was convicted in August, was unapologetic about what happened during the sentencing hearing Thursday — leading Judge Barrett to chastise her during a 15-minute speech that was shared widely online.
He told Peters she sought power and fame in pursuing false election fraud claims, causing immeasurable damage to election integrity in Mesa County. He said she had no respect for the checks and balances of government, for the court, law enforcement or her colleagues and that she betrayed her oath of office, making her a danger to the community.
“It’s the position she held that has provided her with the pulpit from which she can preach these lies,” Barrett said. “Every effort to undermine the integrity of our elections and public’s trust in our institutions has been made by you.”
Peters, 68, isn’t the only person who has faced legal troubles for pursuing Trump’s claims of a stolen election.
Three people were charged after five vote tabulators were illegally taken from three Michigan counties and brought to a hotel room, according to court documents. Investigators found the tabulators were broken into and “tests” were performed on the equipment.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred in New York and Washington for pursuing Trump’s claims about the 2020 election. Other Trump lawyers have been disciplined, relinquished their licenses, indicted or have pleaded guilty in relation to efforts to overturn the election. Hundreds of people have been convicted for their roles in storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was certifying the Electoral College vote.
Before Peters was sentenced, she told Judge Barrett she still believed there had been fraud, even though no evidence exists.
“Just because you don’t acknowledge and you’re blind to the truth, it doesn’t mean that the truth is not there,” she said. She also alleged Mesa County’s voting machines had been replaced to eliminate evidence of fraud.
Cases like Peters’ raised concerns that that rogue election workers, including those sympathetic to lies about the 2020 presidential election, might use their access to election equipment and the knowledge gained through the breaches to launch an attack from within. That could be intended to gain an advantage for their desired candidate or party, or to introduce system problems that would sow further distrust in the election results.
Gillian Feiner, senior counsel with States United Democracy Center — a nonpartisan organization that promotes free and fair elections — said Friday she hopes Peters’ sentence serves as a “meaningful deterrent to others who are still engaged in this type of misconduct.”
“And there are others. She was not in this alone,” Feiner said. “There was a network of bad actors supporting her. And not all of them have been brought to justice. And they were paying attention to this.”
Judge Barrett rejected Peters’ request for a probationary sentence, saying her crimes are serious enough to require prison time.
Barrett did tell Peters that she likely won’t serve her entire term — which is just over 8 years in prison followed by six months in the county jail — because she could be granted time off based on her behavior in prison. Her sentence will be followed by three years on parole.
A Colorado judge is facing threats after sentencing Tina Peters to prison for her role in spreading false claims of election fraud. Peters, a former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder, was found guilty of multiple charges related to her involvement in an election denial scheme.
The case against Peters began in 2020 when she allegedly allowed unauthorized individuals access to voting machines and confidential election data. She also reportedly shared misleading information about the integrity of the election process, fueling baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
After a lengthy trial, Peters was convicted on charges including official misconduct, attempting to influence a public servant, and conspiracy. The judge in the case, who has not been named for security reasons, handed down a sentence of several years in prison for Peters.
Following the sentencing, the judge has reportedly received a number of threatening messages and harassment from individuals who support Peters and her false claims of election fraud. The threats have prompted increased security measures at the courthouse and for the judge personally.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by judges and other officials who are tasked with upholding the rule of law and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. In recent years, there has been a rise in threats and violence against judges who make decisions that are unpopular or controversial.
It is crucial that judges are able to carry out their duties without fear of reprisal or intimidation. The judiciary plays a vital role in upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring that justice is served fairly and impartially.
As the case against Tina Peters demonstrates, spreading false information about elections and undermining public trust in the electoral process can have serious consequences. It is essential that individuals who engage in such behavior are held accountable for their actions and face appropriate consequences.
The threats against the Colorado judge are a troubling reminder of the challenges faced by those who work to uphold the rule of law in the face of misinformation and disinformation. It is imperative that we support and protect our judges and other officials who are committed to upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring that justice is served.
