A local elections official who became a hero to election deniers was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday for leading a voting system data-breach scheme inspired by the rampant false claims that fraud altered the 2020 presidential outcome.
Tina Peters allowed a man affiliated with the pillow salesman and election-lie trafficker Mike Lindell to misuse a security card to access the Mesa county election system.
Jurors found Peters guilty in August, convicting her of seven counts related to misconduct, conspiracy and impersonation, four of which were felony charges.
Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced her on Thursday. Peters had argued for probation. Barrett, in delivering his sentence, said it was clear Peters had not shown remorse for her actions.
Barrett called out Peters for being “as defiant as a defendant that the court has ever seen” and said he believed Peters would do it all over again if she could. He accused her of seeking fame, despite her claims that she didn’t want attention for her actions.
