Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters Released After Judge Lowers Bond From $500,000 To $25,000

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS4) — A Mesa County judge has decided to lower the cash bond for Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. The bond was lowered from $500,000 cash bond to $25,000 on Thursday afternoon.

Peters was released on bond at 7:21 p.m. Thursday.

Peters appeared in court after an arrest warrant was issued for her arrest after a grand jury indictment stemming from an investigation into allegations of election equipment tampering and official misconduct. Mesa County Deputy Clerk Belinda Knisley was also indicted in the same investigation.

Peters, a Republican, is charged with a total of 10 charges, including three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit attempting to influence a public servant, criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, identify theft, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state. Peters turned herself in to authorities at the Mesa County Detention Facility on Wednesday afternoon.

The judge mandated that her bond must be in her name and not from a third party. Peters also must surrender her passport and cannot leave the state unless she gets approval from the court.

Knisley is charged with three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit attempting to influence a public servant, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state. She turned herself into authorities at the Mesa County Detention Facility at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Knisley was released on bond just after 5 p.m. Thursday.

Peters is also facing charges of obstructing a peace officer and obstructing government operations after turning herself into police last month. The criminal charge relates to an iPad the Mesa County District Attorney's Office wanted to examine.

The Secretary of State's office began its investigation into allegations of election equipment tampering after finding privileged voting system information posted to conservative sites on the internet.

In November of last year, search warrants were served to Peters after voting system information turned up on public websites as revealed earlier in 2021 by Griswold. Federal agents, as well as investigators from the attorney general and district attorney's offices, were involved in the raid on Peters' home.