Colorado judge who sentenced election denier Tina Peters to prison receives threats

A rural Colorado county courthouse beefed up security Friday after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to nearly nine years behind bars and admonished her for her role in a data breach scheme catalyzed by the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

Courthouse staff in Grand Junction, Colorado, received multiple threats that were being vetted by law enforcement while extra security was provided, said spokesperson Wendy Likes with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office.

She did not say how many threats were made or how they were received. She also declined to describe the extra security.

The court received compliments as well as threats for Judge Matthew Barrett’s sentencing of Peters, Will Sightler, the court executive of the 21st Judicial District, said in a statement Friday. He didn't elaborate on what the compliments said.

Peters, a Republican, was sentenced Thursday for allowing access to the county's election system to a man affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell — a prominent promoter of false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election.

The one-time hero to election deniers, who was convicted in August, was unapologetic about what happened during the sentencing hearing Thursday — leading Judge Barrett to chastise her during a 15-minute speech that was shared widely online.

He told Peters she sought power and fame in pursuing false election fraud claims, causing immeasurable damage to election integrity in Mesa County. He said she had no respect for the checks and balances of government, for the court, law enforcement or her colleagues and that she betrayed her oath of office, making her a danger to the community.

“It’s the position she held that has provided her with the pulpit from which she can preach these lies,” Barrett said. “Every effort to undermine the integrity of our elections and public’s trust in our institutions has been made by you.”

Peters, 68, isn't the only person who has faced legal troubles for pursuing Trump's claims of a stolen election.

Three people were charged after five vote tabulators were illegally taken from three Michigan counties and brought to a hotel room, according to court documents. Investigators found the tabulators were broken into and “tests” were performed on the equipment.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred in New York and Washington for pursuing Trump's claims about the 2020 election. Other Trump lawyers have been disciplined, relinquished their licenses, indicted or have pleaded guilty in relation to efforts to overturn the election. Hundreds of people have been convicted for their roles in storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was certifying the Electoral College vote.

Before Peters was sentenced, she told Judge Barrett she still believed there had been fraud, even though no evidence exists.

“Just because you don't acknowledge and you're blind to the truth, it doesn't mean that the truth is not there,” she said. She also alleged Mesa County's voting machines had been replaced to eliminate evidence of fraud.

Cases like Peters' raised concerns that that rogue election workers, including those sympathetic to lies about the 2020 presidential election, might use their access to election equipment and the knowledge gained through the breaches to launch an attack from within. That could be intended to gain an advantage for their desired candidate or party, or to introduce system problems that would sow further distrust in the election results.

Gillian Feiner, senior counsel with States United Democracy Center — a nonpartisan organization that promotes free and fair elections — said Friday she hopes Peters' sentence serves as a “meaningful deterrent to others who are still engaged in this type of misconduct."

“And there are others. She was not in this alone,” Feiner said. "There was a network of bad actors supporting her. And not all of them have been brought to justice. And they were paying attention to this."

Judge Barrett rejected Peters' request for a probationary sentence, saying her crimes are serious enough to require prison time.

Barrett did tell Peters that she likely won't serve her entire term — which is just over 8 years in prison followed by six months in the county jail — because she could be granted time off based on her behavior in prison. Her sentence will be followed by three years on parole.

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, left, speaks to her attorney, John Case, during her sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters looks on during her sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters smiles at supporters sitting behind her during her sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, right, cries while hugging supporters before being sentenced to 9 years in prison for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, left, hugs Pastor Dave Bryan of the Church of Glad Tidings, who testified on Peters' behalf during a sentencing hearing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, middle, listens to the prosecution during her sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, right, looks back at the prosecution alongside her attorney, Michael Edminister, during sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson//The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters looks on during sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The weary and worn residents of Julianne Johnson's neighborhood in Asheville have been getting by without electricity since Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast last week and upended their lives. They've been cooking on propane stoves and using dry erase boards to keep up with local happenings while wondering when the lights would come back on.

Johnson, who has a 5-year-old son and works for a land conservation group, received a text from Duke Energy promising her power would be restored by Friday night. But as of midday, utility poles and wires were still draped at odd angles across the streets, pulled down by mangled trees.

“I have no idea what’s next,” said Johnson, whose family does have some power thanks to a generator. “Just the breadth of this over the whole region, it’s kind of amazing.”

She and her neighbors have been taking care of each other since Helene came ashore Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a path of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, killing at least 220 people in six states, including at least 72 in Buncombe County, which includes Asheville. Block captains set out whiteboards with information about who can provide first aid and where to get tools repaired.

Nearly 700,000 homes and businesses — mostly in the Carolinas and Georgia — were still without electricity Friday, according to poweroutage.us. That's an improvement over the more than 2 million customers without power five days ago, and Duke Energy, the dominant provider in North Carolina, said it hoped to have the lights back on by Sunday night for many of its affected customers. But for roughly 100,000 customers in places with catastrophic damage, it could be next week or longer, according to company spokesperson Bill Norton.

“We’re talking about places where the homes no longer exist,” Norton said, adding that some roads where utility poles once stood have been completely washed away.

The company said it would miss its Friday goal of restoring power to almost all of its customers in South Carolina, and it was now shooting for Sunday. Dominion Energy also said it would take longer than initially expected to restore power to the hardest hit counties in the state.

Along Swannanoa River Road on Asheville’s east side, Duke Energy and its contractors spread out Friday afternoon to set about 20 new electricity poles in an area where floodwaters snapped or swept away many of the old ones.

David Martin, who has done engineering work for Duke for three decades in the area, said the damage is far worse than anything he has seen before.

“Repairing, most of your facility is there, it’s just putting wire back up, normally,” Martin said. “In this case we’ve got to start all new — new poles, new wires, new transformers, new services, everything. It’s all been washed out.”

Just digging the hole and placing one pole can take up to two hours, Martin said. And that doesn’t count the time needed to attach equipment or string the lines. The company can’t use a drill-like boring machine to dig many of the holes along the road because of underground utilities.

“A lot of them, you have to hand-dig the holes because there are gas lines,” Martin said.

While there were a few pre-storm poles that workers were trying to save, much of the infrastructure was totally gone. Some of Duke’s lines were washed into the middle of a fairway on the city golf course, tangled up with utility poles and trees.

And like in many places in western North Carolina, someone must first rebuild the washed-out road before the utility can finish restoring the line.

The storm damaged water utilities so severely and over such a wide area that one federal official said it “could be considered unprecedented.” Repairs could take weeks.

The lack of clean running water just added to Asheville's woes.

“I would love a shower,” said Sue Riles, who lives in the tourist-friendly city known for its art galleries, shops and breweries. “Running water would be incredible.”

Even water that’s unfit to drink is scarce. Some people have been hauling buckets from a creek to flush their toilets. Officials also are advising people to collect nondrinkable water for household needs from a local swimming pool.

Without full repairs to the water systems, schools might not be able to resume in-person classes, hospitals might not restore normal operations and hotels and restaurants might not fully reopen.

In Florida, a dozen people died in the Tampa area, with the worst damage on the narrow, 20-mile (32-kilometer) string of barrier islands that stretch from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

“The water, it just came so fast,” said Dave Behringer, who rode out the storm in his home after telling his wife to flee. “Even if you wanted to leave, there was no getting out.”

Among the dead was Aiden Bowles, a retired restaurant owner who didn't want to leave his Indian Rocks Beach home on a barrier island north of St. Petersburg. Caregiver Amanda Normand begged the 71-year-old widower to stay with her inland.

“He said, ‘It’s going to be fine. I’m going to go to bed,’” Normand said of their final phone call the night of Sept. 26.

In North Carolina, exhausted rescue crews and volunteers continued to navigate past washed out roads, downed power lines and mudslides to reach the isolated and the missing. In Buncombe County, officials said Friday, about 75 active missing persons cases remained.

“We know these are hard times, but please know we’re coming,” Buncombe Sheriff Quentin Miller said. “We’re coming to get you. We’re coming to pick up our people.”

Associated Press journalists Gary D. Robertson, in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Contractors for Duke Energy rebuild destroyed electrical lines near the Swannanoa River in Asheville, N.C., Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Contractors for Duke Energy dig a hole by hand to replace a utility pole in an area of destroyed electrical lines near the Swannanoa River in Asheville, N.C., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Contractors for Duke Energy rebuild destroyed electrical lines near the Swannanoa River in Asheville, N.C., Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Contractors for Duke Energy rebuild destroyed electrical lines near the Swannanoa River in Asheville, N.C., Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

A bridge along Interstate 26 is destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

People clean up and burn debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

People clean up debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Heavy machinery is used to clear Interstate 26 as debris is burned in the background following Hurricane Helene Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

A person throws objects on a burning debris pile in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

A worker cuts up a tree that impaled itself on a fire hydrant during Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

A person walks on Interstate 26 as debris covers the roadway in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Personnel from Urban Search and Rescue Utah Task Force 1 work in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Debris covers the roadway along Interstate 26 in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Personnel from Urban Search and Rescue Utah Task Force 1 work in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

A bridge along Interstate 26 is destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

A damaged garage, caved in after a tree fell on it during the remnants of Hurricane Helene, is shown Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Cut up sections of a tree sit on front of a house Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Asheville, N.C., in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

People clean up debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

A tree rests on a house, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Asheville, N.C., after a falling during the remnants of Hurricane Helene, (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

A worker cuts up a tree that impaled itself on a fire hydrant during Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Personnel from Urban Search and Rescue Utah Task Force 1 work in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, right, asks a question of South Carolina Emergency Management Director Kim Stenson, left, during a news conference Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in West Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

A destroyed home is seen after flood waters moved through the Cane river in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

David DeMeza walks out with belongings through sands pushed on to the streets by Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Treasure Island, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

President Joe Biden speaks with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., in Keaton Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, during his tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Volunteers gather food for families at the volunteer fire station in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A volunteer gathers food for families at the volunteer fire station in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Volunteers prepare meals for firefighters and others at the volunteer fire station in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The town sign is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

People speak outside the volunteer fire house in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A volunteer gathers food for families at the volunteer fire station in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A bus pushed by flood waters rests against Laurel Branch Baptist church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A trailer moved by floodwater sits on the side of a road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

North Carolina National guardsman unload water in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A man makes a call on the wireless system set up at the volunteer fire department in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Homes lie in a debris field in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A bus pushed by flood waters rests against Laurel Branch Baptist church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A firefighter watches as a helicopter lands at a volunteer fire station in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A woman walks to her damaged home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Dominick Gucciardo walks to his home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Dominick Gucciardo walks to his home past a bus pushed by flood waters rests against Laurel Branch Baptist church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Vehicles roll along on a washed up road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)