Ex-county clerk Tina Peters sentenced in election tampering case
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Tina Peters speaks at an event in 2022. Photo: AAron Ontiveroz/Denver Post via Getty Images
Tina Peters, a prominent election denier and Trump supporter, was sentenced Thursday to 8 ½ years in prison and six months in jail for election tampering after prosecutors and witnesses blamed her for fueling a national movement to undermine trust in U.S. elections.
Why it matters: The prison sentence is one of the first for perpetrators of "the big lie" that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from then-President Trump.
Driving the news: Colorado District Court Judge Matthew Barrett, an appointee of the Democratic governor, issued the sentence after telling the former Mesa County clerk she is a danger to the community who "would do it all over again if you could."
- He told Peters she is "no hero — you abused your position and you are a charlatan" who peddled "a snake oil proved wrong time and time again."
Catch up quick: A jury in August found Peters, 68, guilty on seven of 10 counts, including four felonies, related to her role in tampering with county voting equipment and records after the 2020 election.
- The guilty charges include first-degree official misconduct, three counts of attempting to influence a public servant and violation of duty.
- She faced up to 20 years in prison and the prosecution asked for the maximum sentence or at least the midpoint.
Zoom in: In 40 minutes of remarks to the judge, Peters defended her actions, maintained her innocence, disputed the conduct of the trial and asked the judge for "leniency" and no jail time.
- "It's with a heavy heart that I hear the vile accusations and anger levied against me for what I did to serve the people of Mesa County," she said. "I think it was important for someone to stand up and I chose to do that."
- She then re-litigated her case for election fraud, sparking a fiery discussion with the judge, before breaking into tears in describing how the prosecution had "uprooted her life."
The intrigue: Former Elbert County Clerk Dallas Schroeder told the judge at sentencing that prosecution of Peters is "tyranny" because she was merely "searching for the truth."
The other side: District Attorney Dan Rubinstein presented witnesses that described how Peters' actions cost the county more than $1 million and irreparably hurt its reputation, making it a "national laughing stock," as one witness put it.
What they're saying: "It is not possible to overestimate the damage done by Tina Peters," Matt Crane, the executive direction of the Colorado County Clerks Association, told the judge during sentencing.
- Her actions contributed to the death threats against election officials in Colorado and nationwide, he said, and cost Americans trust in their government.
- The lone positive, he continued, is how her actions awakened officials to "the real and present danger of insider threats" to elections.
What we're watching: Peters' attorneys are appealing the verdict.