Judge bars county clerk after voting machine passwords leaked to QAnon

Ron Watkins, a conspiracy theorist for QAnon, shared a video he claimed showed how Dominion Voting Systems ballot machines could be remotely accessed in order to tamper the results of a voter's vote. He claimed that the information was provided by a whistleblower.
A Colorado judge has barred Tina Peters, Mesa County Clerk, from overseeing the county's November election. This was in connection to a leakage of BIOS passwords. Peters tweeted support for former President Donald Trump's conspiracy theories about election. She invited Gerald Wood to a meeting regarding a trusted build software upgrade that was supposed to secure the county's voting machines. Peters claimed Wood was her administrative assistant as she transitioned to her new office. However, Wood later said that he was a consultant she hired for copying information from the computers.

Belinda Knisley (Peters deputy) sent an email asking staff to turn off security cameras at the Election Department. She requested that they not be turned back on after August 1st. Knisley did not explain her request but it was done. Wood took a photo of a spreadsheet containing the passwords for the machines on the day of the meeting and copied their hard drives. The passwords were posted online to social media sites after the meeting.

Peters was responsible for the creation of images from the hard drive. This was not authorized under law.

Peters stated in a statement that she will appeal the decision to dismiss a duly elected clerk.

Griswold stated in a statement that Clerk Peters had seriously compromised the security and integrity of Mesa County's voting system. Today's Court decision bars Peters form further threatening Mesa Countys integrity and ensures Mesa County residents have secure and accessible elections. However, no criminal charges have yet been filed.