A Colorado county elections clerk under investigation by federal and state authorities for an alleged security breach of voting machines has been ordered to appear in court to respond to allegations that she lied about recording a court hearing.
A judge issued an order Wednesday telling Tina Peters, the clerk and recorder for western Colorado’s Mesa County, to appear in court March 31 to explain why she should not be held in contempt and sanctioned. She is accused of using her iPad to record a court hearing for an elections deputy, Belinda Knisley, who has been charged in the security breach investigation, but telling the judge she was not. The judge had barred any recordings of proceedings.
Peters didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
She is among local officials being investigated in a handful of states to see if they directed or aided suspected security breaches at their own election offices.
A Mesa County grand jury is investigating Peters in connection with allegations of tampering with election equipment. Peters also is being investigated by the FBI and by Colorado officials in the alleged security breach involving elections equipment in May.
She has denied any wrongdoing.