A Colorado courthouse is on high alert after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to nearly nine years in prison. Peters, a Republican, was found guilty in August of allowing access to Mesa County’s election system to a man affiliated with My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, a prominent figure in promoting false claims of election fraud.
The threats came after Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced Peters on Thursday, delivering a scathing rebuke of her actions. Barrett stated that Peters, driven by a desire for power and fame, had spread false claims of election fraud, causing significant damage to the integrity of elections in Mesa County. He accused her of betraying her oath of office and posing a danger to the community.
Peters, who continues to maintain that the 2020 election was stolen, was unapologetic during the sentencing hearing. Her case has raised concerns about the vulnerability of election systems to internal threats from rogue employees who may be sympathetic to false claims about elections.
The threats against the courthouse come amid a broader trend of intimidation and harassment directed at election officials across the country. This trend, fueled by false claims of election fraud, has been linked to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Experts warn that Peters’ actions serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by individuals who use their positions of power to undermine public trust in elections. They hope that Peters’ sentence will deter others from engaging in similar misconduct.
“And there are others. She was not in this alone,” said Gillian Feiner, senior counsel with States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for free and fair elections. “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.”
The threats against the courthouse and the judge are currently being investigated by law enforcement. Extra security measures have been implemented at the courthouse as a precaution.
