Colorado Secretary Of State: Mesa County Clerk Allowed 'Troubling' Security Breach In Elections Office To Happen

(CBS4) - Mesa County must replace its election equipment after a security breach. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a news conference on Thursday morning that Tina Peters, the county clerk in the western Colorado county, lied to her office.

Griswold, a Democrat, says the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder's office directed staff to turn off video surveillance of its voting equipment prior to a May 25 voting machine update session, thus making it unable to verify the chain of custody of the machines.

"This is troubling for the entire state of Colorado to have someone in a trusted position, literally trusted to protect democracy, allow this type of situation to occur. To be very clear, Mesa County Clerk and Recorder allowed a security breach and by all evidence at this point assisted it," Griswold said.

Furthermore, Griswold said an unauthorized person attended the May 25 session. That was when, Griswold said, passwords were accessed and recently posted online by what she called conspiracy theorists. Griswold said Peters was misleading about the employment status of that unauthorized person.

Peters has denounced an investigation by the secretary of state. Griswold said Peters isn't cooperating.

The Mesa County District Attorney's Office is also investigating the incident.

The breach did not happen during the past election or create any risk to state elections.

Peters, a Republican, is attending a conference this week on unbacked claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.