The verdict, delivered on Monday during the trial, marks the first prosecution of a local election official over suspected security breaches amidst the conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 presidential election.

Peters faced accusations of using another individual's security badge to grant access to an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell. Prosecutors argued that Peters sought fame and became fixated on perceived voting problems after becoming involved with those questioning the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election results.

The case has raised concerns over potential insider threats, where rogue election workers sympathetic to partisan falsehoods could exploit their access and knowledge to launch attacks from within the system.

During closing arguments, prosecutor Janet Drake contended that Peters allowed an individual posing as a county employee to capture images of the election system's hard drive before and after a software upgrade in May 2021. Drake argued that Peters observed the update with the intention of becoming the "hero" and appearing at Lindell's symposium on the 2020 presidential election a few months later.

Drake emphasized the significance of the former clerk's actions, stating, "The defendant was a fox guarding the henhouse. It was her job to protect the election equipment, and she turned on it and used her power for her own advantage."

Before deliberations began, the defense maintained that Peters had not committed any crimes and merely sought to preserve election records after the county denied her request for one of its technology experts to be present during the software update.

Defense lawyer John Case argued that Peters acted out of necessity to preserve records and access the voting system to uncover potential issues, such as unauthorized access from entities like "China or Canada" during ballot counting.

Peters permitted a former surfer affiliated with Lindell, Conan Hayes, to observe the software update and make copies of the hard drive using the security badge of a local man named Gerald Wood. However, while prosecutors allege that Peters committed identity theft by taking Wood's security badge and giving it to Hayes, the defense argues that Wood was aware and complicit in the scheme, negating any criminal wrongdoing on Peters' part.

Wood denied any involvement when he testified during the trial.

Political activist Sherronna Bishop, who introduced Peters to individuals working with Lindell, testified that Wood knew his identity would be used based on a Signal chat between herself, Wood, and Peters. However, no explicit agreement was documented in the chat.

The day after the first image of the hard drive was taken, Bishop testified that she posted a voice recording in the chat, but the content of that recording was not included in the screenshots introduced by the defense. The person identified as Wood responded to an unknown message by stating, "I was glad to help out. I do hope the effort proved fruitful," according to the screenshots.

Tina Peters is currently facing multiple charges, including attempting to influence a public servant, criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, identity theft, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state.

The verdict in the Tina Peters case serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining the integrity and security of election systems. It also highlights the potential consequences for those who exploit their positions for personal gain and contribute to the spread of misinformation surrounding elections.