Trumpist county clerk barred after leak of voting-system passwords to QAnon

[Klaralven]

A Colorado judge on Wednesday barred Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters from supervising elections due to the leak of voting-system BIOS passwords to QAnon conspiracy theorist Ron Watkins. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and Mesa County registered elector Heidi Jeanne Hess had petitioned the court for a ruling that Peters and Deputy Clerk Belinda Knisley are unable to perform the functions of the Designated Election Official for the November 2021 election.

The "court determines that the petitioners have met the burden of showing that Peters and Knisley have committed a breach and neglect of duty and other wrongful acts," Mesa County District Court Judge Valerie Robison wrote in Wednesday's ruling. "As such, Peters and Knisley are unable or unwilling to appropriately perform the duties of the Mesa County Designated Election Official. The court further determines substantial compliance with the provisions of the code require an injunction prohibiting Peters and Knisley from performing the duties of the Designated Election Official."

In August, Watkins released photos of information on Dominion's Election Management Systems (EMS) voting machines, including an installation manual and "BIOS passwords for a small collection of computers, including EMS server and client systems," as we reported at the time. While Watkins, a former 8chan administrator, was trying to prove that Dominion can remotely administer the machines, the documents actually showed "a generic set of server hardware, with explicit instructions to keep it off the Internet and lock down its remote management functions."

Peters, who promoted Trump's conspiracy theory that voting machines were manipulated to help Joe Biden win the 2020 election, "'holed up' in a safe house provided by pillow salesman and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell" when the FBI began investigating her, according to an August 19 Vice News article. Her location was described as a "mystery" for a while, but she appeared at an event in Grand Junction, Colorado, last month.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/10/trumpist-county-clerk-barred-after-leak-of-voting-system-passwords-to-qanon/

[Ptah]

1. QAnon conspiracy theorist Ron Watkins

In October 2021, Watkins filed a statement of interest with the Arizona Secretary of State to run for the United States House of Representatives in Arizona's 1st congressional district as a Republican.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Watkins#Subsequent_endeavors

[ZonkerHarris]

2. Republicans are worried about criminal conspiracies to rig elections because Republicans are engaged

in criminal conspiracies to rig elections.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Projection was one of the main propaganda tools

used by the Bolsheviks in the 1917 Revolution. They cranked out the posters and press releases denouncing opposition parties then did similar things themselves. It is meant to confuse the public who are not smart enough to ignore the lies and watch their actions.

[paleotn]

14. Bingo. +1000

[MissMillie]

3. So, she's still county clerk? No criminal charges?

I imagine she'll be voted out if she's not legally able to oversee the elections, but still... why is she still there?

[MyOwnPeace]

7. Barred?

I would hope they meant to say "FIRED AND CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL CONDUCT!"

[MissMillie]

8. according to the link...

she's still in office and able to perform all duties of her job that don't involve overseeing elections.

[H2Oart]

4. Shhhhheeesh

Did they at least change the passwords… f’n SMH

[MissMillie]

9. I think the machines have been pulled from use

I could be wrong about that.

[jmowreader]

6. I don't have time to go through the US Code right now...

…but this seems like it at least should be a federal offense that comes with a couple years in federal custody. At the very least, Peters needs to be removed from office and Watkins disqualified from holding office.

[MissMillie]

10. He just announced a run for Congress

from the state of Arizona

[jmowreader]

17. I know. Ugh.

As if the Qanon freaks we already have in Congress aren’t bad enough.

[70sEraVet]

11. And what about Mike Lindell? Hiding someone from the FBI?

How are people getting away with scrap like that?

[Traildogbob]

12. And a black

Lady in Texas is still in prison for voting, not realizing she could not with a charge she had in the past.

[FakeNoose]

13. Mesa County CO - please change your passwords BEFORE November 2

Today would be even better!

[calimary]

15. Weed 'em out!

[MacKasey]

16. Dominion should be sueing Watkins too

If he has been defaming them

I wish the FBI would investigate Watkins and come out and state that the father and son are Qanon

[traitorsgalore]

18. Hope to see her on "sorryantivaxxers" soon

I'm sure she's a covicidal maskhole variant spreading plague rat as well as a traitor.