Excerpted....
Former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk Tina Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison for leading a security breach of the county's election system after being inspired by false and baseless claims of voting fraud.
Peters, a Republican, was convicted for giving an individual affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, an ally of former President Donald Trump, access to the election software she used for her county. Screenshots of the software appeared on right-wing websites.
She was found guilty on most of the charges related to election tampering and misconduct.
"Your lies are well documented, and these convictions are serious," District Judge Matthews Barrett said. "I'm convinced you would do it all over again if you could. You're as defiant as a defendant as this Court has never seen."
"There are many things in my mind that are crystal clear about this case, you are no hero," Barrett added. "You abused your position, and you're a charlatan who used and is still using your prior position in office to peddle a snake oil that's been proven to be junk, time and time again."
Barrett called the damage done by Peters to undermine the integrity of elections "immeasurable."
Before being sentenced, Peters took the stand to ask for probation, and told the judge she "never did anything with malice" and believed she was serving the people in Mesa County.
Former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk Tina Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison for leading a security breach of the county's election system after being inspired by false and baseless claims of voting fraud.
Peters, a Republican, was convicted for giving an individual affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, an ally of former President Donald Trump, access to the election software she used for her county. Screenshots of the software appeared on right-wing websites.
She was found guilty on most of the charges related to election tampering and misconduct.
"Your lies are well documented, and these convictions are serious," District Judge Matthews Barrett said. "I'm convinced you would do it all over again if you could. You're as defiant as a defendant as this Court has never seen."
"There are many things in my mind that are crystal clear about this case, you are no hero," Barrett added. "You abused your position, and you're a charlatan who used and is still using your prior position in office to peddle a snake oil that's been proven to be junk, time and time again."
Barrett called the damage done by Peters to undermine the integrity of elections "immeasurable."
Before being sentenced, Peters took the stand to ask for probation, and told the judge she "never did anything with malice" and believed she was serving the people in Mesa County.