Colorado Elections Clerk Charged with Identity Theft

Two 66-year-previous women from Colorado have been accused of interfering with election machines and official misconduct.

On Tuesday, a Mesa County grand jury returned a 13-count indictment against clerk and recorder Tina Peters and deputy clerk Belinda Knisley. According to the indictment, the gals tampered with the security of Dominion Voting Units machines in late Might 2021.

It is alleged that the duo turned off security cameras in the space the place the voting equipment ended up stored then permitted an unauthorized 3rd occasion to make copies of voting machine difficult drives. They are further more accused of enabling the unauthorized third party to be present just before and immediately after the efficiency of a software update known as a ‘trusted build’ units update. 

Peters and Knisley allegedly stole the identification of IT marketing consultant Gerald “Jerry” Wooden, whom they pretended to use and employed his identify and Social Security selection to pass a track record check out and receive a security clearance and obtain badge. This badge was allegedly provided to the unknown 3rd occasion who prosecutors say manufactured copies of the tricky drives of the voting machine. 

The indictment states: “Beginning in April 2021 and in progress of the Might 25-26, 2021, dependable establish, Tina Peters and Belinda Knisley, possibly as principal actors and/or acting as complicators, devised and executed a deceptive plan which was created to impact community servants, breach security protocols, exceed permissible obtain to voting devices, and established in motion the eventual distribution of confidential information and facts to unauthorized persons.”

Pursuing the alleged security breach, copies of Mesa County’s election administration software package and passwords were reportedly circulated on the net in August 2021. 

Peters is billed with three counts of trying to affect a general public servant, two counts of conspiracy to commit prison impersonation and a single rely each of identity theft, formal misconduct in the to start with diploma, violation of obligation and failure to comply with the secretary of condition.

Knisley is charged with 3 counts of making an attempt to affect a public servant and one particular count each of conspiracy to commit prison impersonation, violation of duty and failure to comply with the demands of the secretary of point out.

Some parts of this article are sourced from:
www.infosecurity-journal.com