Tina Peters, a Trump-supporting Colorado county clerk, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday after leading a data breach scheme related to the 2020 presidential election. During her sentencing, District Judge Matthew Barrett engaged in a tense exchange with Peters, who continued to promote discredited claims about rigged voting machines.
Judge Barrett expressed skepticism about Peters’ remorse, stating, “I am convinced you would do it all over again if you could. You’re as defiant as any defendant this court has ever seen. You are no hero. You abused your position, and you’re a charlatan.”
A jury found Peters guilty of four felonies after a lengthy trial, clearing her of three lesser charges. Prosecutors accused her of stealing a county employee’s security badge to grant access to a man linked to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who sought to bolster false conspiracy theories about the election’s validity. Her charges included three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, and violation of duty.
During the hearing, Peters insisted, “I was just trying to do my job,” and expressed her discontent with the portrayals of her during the trial. “It was important for someone to stand up and I’ve chosen to do that,” she stated, asserting her belief that she was justified in her actions.
“I’ve often said God doesn’t like people messing with his kids. And I believe I’m a child of God,” she said. “It was important for someone to stand up and I’ve chosen to do that.”
In a surprising moment, Peters requested leniency, citing lingering injuries that necessitated her use of a “magnetic mattress” for sleep.
Judge Barrett, however, remained unconvinced and sentenced her to eight-and-a-half years plus time served. He emphasized that Peters still seemed to believe in the validity of her actions regarding the access given to pro-Trump allies.
Earlier in the proceedings, Judge Barrett firmly rejected Peters’ conspiratorial beliefs, saying, “Whatever [the machine] tabulates, is whatever it tabulates,” and voiced his frustration at her attempts to involve him in her unfounded assertions about the 2020 election being stolen from Donald Trump. “It’s insulting to me for you to put that into a record that I believe something to be true.”
Watch the clip below:
Tina Peters, just sentenced to 9 years in prison, told the judge that people who want her to go to prison are in trouble because God doesn’t like people messing w/his kids & she is a child of God. She then said she couldn’t go to prison because she sleeps on a special mattress. pic.twitter.com/vKI1iOvdfG
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 3, 2024