Ex-county clerk found guilty of election interference

A former Colorado county election official was found guilty on Monday of tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election.

A jury found former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a Republican, guilty on seven out of 10 counts in the election interference case.

Peters has become well known among election deniers who falsely believe the 2020 presidential election was rigged against former President Donald Trump.

Peters pleaded not guilty to all counts in 2022.

The case represents the first time a local election official has been prosecuted over a suspected security breach during the 2020 election.

"Tina Peters willfully compromised her own election equipment trying to prove Trump's Big Lie," Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement.

"Today's verdict sends a clear message: we will not tolerate any effort to threaten the security of our gold standard elections," she added.

The jury deliberated for over four hours on Monday before returning the verdict. Four of the seven charges Peters was found guilty on are felonies.

The former county clerk was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with the secretary of state.

Prosecutors say Peters engaged in "a deceptive scheme which was designed to influence public servants, breach security protocols, exceed permissible access to voting equipment and set in motion the eventual distribution of confidential information to unauthorized people," according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said Peters helped breach the county's election computer systems and allowed an unauthorized individual to access voting equipment and election records. The person posted secure election equipment images online.

Peters became "fixated" on voting problems after the 2020 presidential election that some falsely believe was rigged against Trump, prosecutors said.

Investigators also issued a search warrant for MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, a proponant of election fraud claims, in connection to Peters' case, BBC's American partner CBS News reported.

Peters is set to be sentenced on 3 October. Her attorney could not be reached for comment.