Mesa Co. Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters faces lawsuit alleging campaign finance violations

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters (R) is facing a lawsuit concerning alleged campaign finance violations.

Colorado of Security of State Jena Griswold (D) is alleging that Clerk Peters has accepted campaign donations without officially announcing her candidacy in an affidavit. Griswold is also alleging that Peters has failed to report contributions and expenditures, and that Peters has accepted contributions over allowable limits. The Attorney General of Colorado’s Office is the Sec. of State’s counsel in this suit.

Scott Beilfuss, Co-Chair of the Mesa Co. Democrats, filed the complaints underpinning the suit.

He explained that, “So the complaint was first of all...When she went to the cyber symposium with Mr. Pillow [Mike Lindell], that she was accepting gifts over $65, which you’re allowed to take only if you file the forms and she didn’t file anything. So we complained about that. And then the second complaint was about raising money for legal fees and taking contributions.”

In response to these allegations, Clerk Peters released a statement that reads, “This is very simple. A huge number of my constituents believe the election of 2020 needs to be investigated. We began investigating the election. Jenna (sic.) Griswold, a Soros-funded Democratic activist turned office holder, teamed up with Lincoln Project Republicans and is using everything she can to intimidate me or anyone else out of investigating the election. Period.”

Clerk Peters and her office are also under investigation from the FBI and the 21st Judicial District Attorney’s office regarding alleged security breaches in county election systems.

Candidates faced with such allegations have options to dispute them or cure them if they so want.