Worker pleads guilty in Colorado election equipment tampering case

A former elections supervisor who prosecutors say assisted in a safety breach of voting tools in a Colorado county pleaded responsible on Wednesday below a plea settlement that requires her to testify towards her former boss.

Sandra Brown is one in all two staff accused of serving to Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters enable a duplicate of a tough drive to be made throughout an replace of election tools final 12 months searching for proof of the false conspiracy theories spun by former President Donald Trump.

Brown, 45, pleaded responsible to making an attempt to affect a public servant, a felony, and official misconduct, a misdemeanor, however won’t be sentenced till proper after she testifies at Peters’ trial subsequent 12 months so her efficiency on the witness stand could be thought of.

“There have been issues occurring that I ought to have questioned and I did not,” Brown advised Decide Matthew Barrett.

In August, Peters’ chief deputy, Belinda Knisley, additionally pleaded responsible below a deal that required her to testify towards Peters. She solely pleaded responsible to misdemeanor counts and was instantly sentenced to 2 years of unsupervised probation.

Peters gained nationwide prominence by selling conspiracy theories about voting machines and misplaced a bid to grow to be the Republican candidate for Colorado’s secretary of state, who oversees elections, earlier this 12 months. She is charged with three counts of making an attempt to affect a public servant, prison impersonation, two counts of conspiracy to commit prison impersonation, one rely of id theft, first-degree official misconduct, violation of obligation and failing to adjust to the secretary of state.

She has dismissed the allegations, calling them politically motivated, and has pleaded not responsible.

In accordance with Brown’s arrest affidavit, Knisley labored to get a safety badge for a person Peters mentioned she was hiring within the clerk’s workplace. Peters then used it to permit one other, unauthorized individual contained in the room to make a duplicate of the election tools arduous drive through the Might 2021 election tools replace, it mentioned. Brown was current when the copy was made and conspired to misrepresent the id of the individual utilizing the badge, it mentioned.

Brown contacted the secretary of state’s workplace asking for permission for an administrative assistant to be allowed to attend the replace however knew that individual was actually a pc professional who wouldn’t have been allowed to attend, District Lawyer Dan Rubinstein advised Decide Matthew Barrett throughout Brown’s plea listening to. The credential for that professional was then utilized by one other individual to get within the room and make a duplicate of the arduous drive, he mentioned. That individual has not been charged.

“She knew she was organising a sham,” Rubinstein mentioned of Brown.

State election officers grew to become conscious of the safety breach when a photograph and video of confidential voting system passwords had been posted on social media and a conservative web site.

Brown’s deal, which Barrett won’t determine whether or not to just accept till sentencing, would enable her to serve as much as 30 days in jail for the misdemeanor. It will enable the felony conviction to be erased after two years if she complies with circumstances he units, akin to requiring group service, for these two years. If Barrett rejects the plea deal, Brown may withdraw her responsible pleas.