New ethics complaint against Tina Peters will be heard by CO Independent Ethics Commission tomorrow

A third ethics complaint (pdf) was filed against Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters on May 9, 2022.

This one is about her failure to report contributions to her legal defense fund, in particular the $800,000 donation that My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell said he made to Peters’ fund. Lindell disclosed the donation at an election denier event at the state Capitol April 5.  9News in Denver described it as the single biggest contribution ever made to any elected official in Colorado history. The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (IEC) designated the latest complaint as Complaint No. 22-22. It is the third ethics complaint filed against Peters since she became a high-profile election denier.

Evasive action to try to avoid state ethics rules?

Peters accepted donations to a Colorado-based legal defense fund until an ethics complaint was filed against her for failing to report those donations as required by Article 29 of the Colorado Constitution. She then closed her Colorado-based legal fund and started directing donors to a fund  operated by Mike Lindell that is based in Wisconsin. Peters has not given any explanation for moving her legal defense fund out of state.

Tina Peters

The IEC will hear the newest complaint for the first time at their meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, May 17, at 9:00 a.m. at 1300 Broadway, Room 1C, in Denver, Colorado. You can read the entire new complaint here.

The IEC has already deemed the first two complaints against Peters, 22-07 and 22-18, as “non-frivolous” and is pursuing them. Complaint No. 22-07 is about her accepting gifts of travel, hotel, meals and security details in excess of the legal limit prescribed by the state constitution, and Complaint No. 22-18 is about accepting donations to her Colorado-based legal defense fund in amounts that violate allowable limits. The previous two complaints are farther along in the IEC’s process and will also be heard at the 5/17 meeting.

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