politics
Election denier Tina Peters to be hired as elections consultant in conservative California county
Shasta county, hotbed of US election denialism movement, set to appoint ex-Colorado clerk who served prison term
TL;DR
- Shasta county, California, a hub for election denialism, intends to hire Tina Peters as an elections consultant.
- Peters, a prominent Colorado election denier, was recently released from prison after serving time for election-related felonies.
- Shasta county's top election official, Clint Curtis, plans to hire Peters as a replacement for his deputy, stating she will not access the voting system.
- The county has a history of challenging voting processes, including attempts to cut ties with Dominion Voting Systems and implement hand-counting.
- Peters's conviction involved allowing an activist to breach county election software, leading to the release of sensitive information.
- Critics, including Colorado's Secretary of State and California Senator Alex Padilla, have condemned the plan, citing Peters's criminal record and past actions.
- Clint Curtis, the Shasta county official, has himself faced controversy, including accusations of creating a hostile work environment and violent threats, which he denies.
- Curtis lost his bid for re-election in June, with voters choosing a longtime elections office employee.
- Shasta voters also approved a measure mandating in-person, single-day elections and ending vote-by-mail, which is currently facing legal challenges.