A Colorado judge has been getting multiple threats after he sentenced an election-denying former county clerk to prison for orchestrating a security breach to further a conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
Tina Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, was sentenced to nine years behind bars for providing unauthorized access to the county election system to someone associated with MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell, a Trump supporter who has falsely claimed that voting machine companies rigged the last presidential election.
Will Sightler, the court executive for the 21st Judicial District in Colorado, said in a statement Friday that the court has been “receiving threats and compliments regarding Judge [Matthew] Barrett’s sentencing of Tina Peters.” The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office told The Associated Press that law enforcement is reviewing those threats and has provided increased security at the courthouse as a result.
Considered a hero to election-denying conspiracy theorists, Peters was convicted in August on three counts of attempting to influence a public servant; and one count each of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state. After the verdict, she continued to espouse false claims about the election on social media and on Steve Bannon’s podcast.
Peters was handed her lengthy sentence in a hearing on Thursday after Barrett excoriated her for her crimes, saying she used her position as a county clerk “to peddle snake oil” and to chase fame.
“Your lies are well documented and these convictions are serious,” Barrett told her, adding that the damage she caused was “immeasurable.”
“I’m convinced you would do it all over again if you could,” he said. “You’re as defiant a defendant as I’ve ever seen.”
Officials did not provide details on the number or nature of the threats made against court staff. But the threats follow a pattern of public officials reporting a surge of harassment and threats in recent years, reflecting a deeply polarized society and the embrace of violent rhetoric by prominent politicians — most notably Trump — against their political rivals.