Colorado Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a hardline Trumper who’s been indicted over an election systems data leak that surfaced at MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s “Cyber Symposium,” is facing yet another ethics investigation — and she has her buddy Lindell to thank for that.
The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (EIC) on Tuesday approved an ethics complaint against Peters filed by a citizen named Anne Landman, who had previously filed two other complaints against the clerk that have also been approved by the EIC.
The latest complaint alleges that Peters violated Colorado’s Constitution by accepting Lindell’s contributions to her legal defense fund that went far beyond what the state allows elected officials to receive in donations.
The complaint points to an interview Lindell had with local news outlet 9NEWS on April 5, during which the pillow tycoon stated that he’d funneled all the money into Peters’ defense fund himself.
“How much is that?” the 9NEWS reporter asked.
“I don’t know, I probably put in 3, 4, 5, maybe $800,000 of my own money,” Lindell replied.
Under the section of the Colorado’s Constitution cited in Landman’s ethics complaint, the maximum amount or value of a donation/gift is $65.
Oops.
One of Landman’s two previous complaints against Peters alleged that the clerk failed to disclose names and donation amounts in a previous legal defense fund that she has since shut down. The other complaint focused on Peters’ flights on Lindell’s private jet.
The EIC’s new investigation into Peters is just the tip of the iceberg for the county clerk, who was indicted in March over an alleged plot to breach her county election systems’ security protocols. Confidential data from those systems then got into the hands of some in online right-wing circles and ultimately was revealed at Lindell’s absurd “Cyber Symposium” that Peters attended last year.
The charges against Peters include attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit attempt to influence a public servant, criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, identity theft, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state.
But Peters is still digging her heels into advancing Trump’s lies about the 2020 election and is currently running for secretary of state with the solid support of the Colorado GOP.
Read the new ethics complaint against Peters below:
