by US Election Integrity
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters in good faith delivered an initial forensic cybersecurity report covering election machine analysis to County Commissioners. The report proves destruction of evidence. One or more Commissioners misrepresent report to the press -fail to report crimes.
The expert-generated forensic cybersecurity report signed by cyber-expert Doug Gould, detailed a pattern of systematic destruction of election records in Colorado voting systems by the Secretary of State’s staff and voting system vendor during the “Trusted Build” updates that took place in Colorado over the summer. It’s expected the report will become a part of several pending investigations and lawsuits. Additional legal questions are now raised regarding premeditation and conspiracy.
Peters commissioned the detailed forensic examination by court-recognized expert cybersecurity witnesses including Gould as part of her duties as Clerk and Recorder. The report now supports her legal defense against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s legal accusations.
- The Destruction of evidence. Destruction of election records, election-related data that’s required to be preserved under federal and state law.
- Thousands of election records were destroyed.
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Secretary of State Griswold and the vendor deleted the election records.
- Through the “Trusted Build” hardware and software election systems update.
- By way of Griswold’s approved procedures for the updates.
- Due to Griswold’s certified election system configuration. Configurations directed by the Secretary of State were designed to automatically overwrite election data.
- The election system was illegally certified. The report stops short of stating Griswold’s certification of the voting systems complete with an election record-destroying configuration was illegal. However, Colorado statute is explicit that the Federal Voting System Standards are mandatory. The SecState’s certification allowed the use of a non-compliant voting system in Colorado elections.
- The deleted election records eliminate the possibility of a complete forensic election audit. The type of audit SecState Griswold has sought to prohibit by her controversial election rules which were rubber-stamped into law through CO Attorney General Phil Weiser.
It is unclear whether the Mesa County DA has sole responsibility to investigate the criminal violations. Alternatives include whether the matter must be referred to Federal authorities, the Colorado Attorney General, or every state jurisdiction affected by the technical discovery. The next outstanding question is whether Mesa County Commissioners have any liability for failing to investigate and submit the report’s findings to the authorities as required by§ 18-8-105.
Mesa County Commissioner Rowland now faces a dilemma. On one hand, she is on the record interrogating Mesa County citizens in a hearing where the Commissioners apparently invited both press and anti-election integrity industry insiders. During the hearing, Rowland aggressively pressed why citizens didn’t “bring the proof [of fraud] to the authorities.” At the time, citizens explained that the production of the evidence Rowland was demanding required an investigation of the machines, which citizens had previously requested. On the other hand, at the time of Rowland’s irrational demands, she knew access to the voting machines was impossible, given the equipment was sequestered.In the County Commissioner’s public hearing on September 20th McInnes stepped into the breach (~25:00) claiming Peters’ report was “anonymous” insinuating there was no official report author. Instead of McInnes successfully bashing the report that clearly is proof of criminal activity, McInnes showed he didn’t completely read; or grasp the contents of the report. McInnes beclowned himself by claiming the “goal posts have been moved” as damning election malfeasance evidence piled-up in succession over months. It appears McInnes lost the plot, or doesn’t care.
In a final attempt to disparage Peters, McInnes repeated false
accusations by Secretary of State Jena Griswold. The false claim is
Peters leaked passwords during her legal back up of election systems.
McInnes is weak on the facts. It was Griswold who was in sole custody
of the BIOS passwords in question; she bears the responsibility to prove
she or her office didn’t lose control of their passwords. Mesa County
Commissioners continue to show their fecklessness, dishonesty, and lack
of understanding given the report Peters delivered was a courtesy
initial version. The official report filed in Peters defense pleadings
is complete with any information Rowland, McInnes or Davis claim
falsely, to be missing.
Since May, citizens across Colorado have been asking Clerks to delay the “Trusted Build” to preserve election records and afford citizens the opportunity to conduct an independent forensic audit. But the shadow emerged of a coordinated campaign by the Secretary of State and the Colorado County Clerks Association (CCCA) leadership, to deprive citizens of knowledge of the “Trusted Build” schedule, and to cajole and coerce reluctant Clerks El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman and Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes, the President of the CCCA. Both claimed in meetings with citizens that the Secretary of State’s and the Colorado Attorney General’s Offices issued formal warnings to them advising against allowing citizen access election records for audits, including electronic records generating from the Dominion voting systems; or they would be “sued.”
The result of forensic analysis of Mesa County’s system backups completely upends the accusations against Peters. It’s now clear Griswold’s and the media’s initial characterization of Peters was patently false. Peters acted in good faith, despite immense pressure from Griswold’s false accusations in what appears to be intentional attempts to coerce and intimidate her.
Also destroyed are current and former Secretaries of State Wayne Williams, and Griswold’s claims to “Gold Standard” security for Colorado elections. The expert report proves serious crimes were committed by Peters’ accusers and may save or implicate other Colorado County Clerks. Given this proof, County Clerks across Colorado are at risk of being responsible for election crimes simply for trusting Matt Crane the Executive Director of the CCCA, The Secretary of State Jena Griswold, and electronic voting machine vendors.
The report bears serious legal implications beyond Peters’ defense case and Griswold’s motivations to focus law enforcement resources on Peters. Now voting system vendors, the voting system testing lab, and U.S. Election Assistance Commission officials may have some explaining to do.
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