Election denier Tina Peters to be hired as consultant in California county

Shasta County, a conservative region in northern California, is set to hire Tina Peters, a prominent Colorado election denier who was recently released from prison, to serve as an elections consultant. Peters's appointment, intended to replace a deputy on medical leave, comes despite her felony conviction related to an election system breach.

Clint Curtis, Shasta County's top election official, stated that Peters will not have access to the county's voting system. The county has become a focal point for election denialism in the U.S. In 2023, its governing body attempted to switch to a hand-count system and break ties with Dominion Voting Systems, a move experts warned would be costly and less accurate. The state ultimately blocked these plans.

Curtis himself has faced controversy since his appointment last year. Investigative reports concluded he created a hostile work environment and made violent threats, which he denies. The county board of supervisors recently censured him for "ongoing and flagrant violations" of personnel rules. Curtis accused staff of "sabotaging elections" and plans to sue the county.

Peters was convicted of felonies after allowing an activist to impersonate an employee and attend an upgrade of Mesa County's Dominion voting software. Sensitive county information was later published by a far-right news website. Colorado Governor Jared Polis commuted her nine-year prison sentence in June.

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Everything the old staff accused me of is a lie, and we will be able to prove it in court.