The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to halt the thrice-delayed trial of Tina Peters, the former Colorado county clerk who became a national celebrity of the election denial movement, claimed God was on her side and rallied the enthusiastic support of churches and conservative Christian groups.
Her trial — previously scheduled for March 2023, then October 2023, then February 2024, when she fired her attorneys at the last moment — finally began this Wednesday in Grand Junction. The case against her is said to be strong, and two former coworkers who have pled guilty have agreed to testify against her.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to halt her trial comes two months after a U.S. district court dismissed her lawsuit against the U.S. government, in which she claimed all charges against her were brought in retaliation for her role as a “whistleblower” seeking to expose injustice.
Peters, who is in her late 60s, faces 10 charges of official misconduct and election tampering, including seven felonies, and could be sent to prison for life.
First elected to office in 2018, Peters declared in November 2020 that voting in Mesa County was a success, saying there were “no complaints” or irregularities.
She soon reversed herself, claimed county voting machines were compromised and publicly exposed voting machine data and passwords online and at a conference organized by My Pillow founder Mike Lindell. She starred in a pseudo-documentary, Selection Code, that was funded by Lindell, who said the film would “show the whole world that we can never, ever, use computers or voting machines in elections again.”
“God’s called me, he’ll sustain me and he’s surrounding me with his people,” Peters said in 2021. “So, I feel very good.”
But a Christian man who was victimized by Peters and is scheduled to testify against her at the trial this week says God is on the side of the righteous, not those who use their faith to justify illegal acts.
“I don’t believe God honors that kind of behavior,” said Jerry Wood. Peters used Wood’s identity and badge to admit an unauthorized person to enter the county’s secured elections area. The FBI later raided the Woods’ home, unaware that Jerry Wood had not been involved in the crime.
“Truth matters, and she has not been speaking the truth,” said Wendi Wood, a pastor who is Jeff’s wife. The couple has received hate mail and threats for speaking out against Peters.
Peters was removed from office by court order in 2021. Her antics have cost Mesa County more than $1.3 million. The county in Western Colorado, which is represented in Congress by firebrand GOP U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, has a population of 160,000. Peters unsuccessfully ran for Colorado secretary of state in 2022, and in 2023 failed in her effort to lead the Colorado GOP.
The state GOP, which is riven by internal divisions, came out in support of Peters in 2022, saying: “The GOP stands with Tina Peters” for “her efforts to inform the entire country that our elections are compromised.” The GOP urged readers to “unite in prayer” in her behalf.
“Truth matters, and she has not been speaking the truth.”
But other GOP leaders were offended, writing an open letter saying, “We want to state unequivocally, Tina Peters is not a hero. … We are dedicated public servants who take our sacred responsibility and sworn oaths with absolute seriousness.”
Peters has the support of Colorado health-and-wealth preacher Andrew Wommack, whose Truth and Liberty Coalition has organized rallies for Peters, promoted reports about election security failures and featured her on numerous videos (see here, here, here, and here).
Wommack’s group calls Peters “courageous,” says she’s “the epitome of the American patriot,” and claims she “is committed to transparency and honest elections. … Those who are against her are afraid that Tina’s pursuit of good government and transparency could expose some ugly truths.”
Peters also has the support of Patrick Byrne, former CEO of Overstock, who participated in the Thursday event hosted on X called “Cyber Crisis: Saving Tina Peters.” Byrne repeatedly told the group that law enforcement would face “a piano wire and a blowtorch” for pursuing the case against Peters.
Churches also have held rallies defending Peters, including Appleton Christian Church in Grand Junction and The Rock Church in Castle Rock, where cheers of “Lock her up” were made against Colorado’s Secretary of State, who has investigated Peters.
Peters also is trying to raise $1 million on GiveSendGo, a $100 million Christian crowdfunding platform that has become a haven for “J6 Patriots” and antisemites. More than 1,000 donors have given her $97,565 so far.
“For the last two and a half years, Tina has continued to be inundated with lawfare and personal attacks costing her savings in an effort to wake people up to see the dangers of forces wanting to take our very liberties,” says her GiveSendGo campaign.
“I admire your positive attitude during this challenging season in your life,” said one recent donor. “It is an obvious attack by people who are consumed with evil and darkness in their hearts.”
The case is Peters v. United States et al. The Colorado Times Recorder summarized the charges Peters faces: three counts of felony attempting to influence a public servant, one count of felony conspiracy to commit attempting to influence a public servant, felony criminal impersonation, two counts of felony conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, felony identify theft, misdemeanor first-degree official misconduct, misdemeanor violation of duty and misdemeanor failing to comply with the secretary of state.
This article originally appeared in Baptist News Global.
