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DENVER — The FBI said Wednesday that its agents are participating in a criminal investigation into an alleged security breach of a voting equipment in rural Colorado.
Agents working together Mesa County FBI spokeswoman Courtney Bernal said in a statement that prosecutors will determine if there has been a criminal violation.
The federal investigation comes after Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold warned federal cybersecurity officials at the US Department of Homeland Security of the suspected breach. Earlier this week, federal officials confirmed that the alleged violation would not pose significant election risks “at this point”, Griswold said.
Last week, Griswold accused Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters of directing staff to turn off video surveillance of voting equipment prior to the May 25 software update and allowing a non-employing person to enter the election office at the time.
Griswold’s office identified the man, but declined to say anything more about who he was or why he was there. The Associated Press will not be named until more information is available about him. He has not been charged with a crime.
Peters spoke about Griswold’s investigation into the alleged security breach at an event in South Dakota last week hosted by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, known for his unwavering support for Trump and his efforts to overthrow the 2020 election due to widespread fraud. . A number of election officials across the country, including Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have confirmed that widespread fraud did not occur.
Peters said Griswold’s investigation was a takeover attempt. Mesa CountyElections held in one of Colorado’s last Republican strongholds.
Griswold, a Democrat, was also appointed Mesa County Treasurer Sheila Reiner is a three-person advisory committee that will oversee the county’s upcoming elections and assist Reiner. Griswold also ordered Mesa County changing voting equipment due to the posting of the county’s voting equipment passwords on a far-right blog.
Griswold announced on Monday that the two hard drive images Mesa County election servers were obtained by election conspiracy theorists.
His office said they believe one of the hard drive footage was taken on May 23 from a secure room where election equipment was stored and accessed by Peters, a non-employee and another county election employee.
Colorado’s voting system has been lauded as one of the safest in the country by officials, including Trump-appointed former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen.
The state’s election procedures were developed by the Secretary of State, appointed by both Republicans and Democrats.
• Nieberg is a corps member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms.
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