Last week, Clint Curtis, Shasta County’s top elections official in California, publicly criticized members of his own staff. Curtis later claimed the criticism was intended to “interfere with a federal election.”
Several days later, Curtis announced plans to bring Tina Peters into the Shasta County elections operation. Peters is a prominent election-denial activist who was convicted in 2024 on seven counts related to election interference and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Peters, a former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk, has not publicly commented on the offer. Her attorney, Peter Ticktin, told WIRED that “there was definitely monkey business in the way the election was handled” and said they were considering supporting the effort in Shasta County.
Peters was convicted after allowing unauthorized access to Mesa County election equipment as part of an effort to prove that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen from Donald Trump. Mike Lindell, the former pillow company executive and election-denial activist, was also linked to the broader effort. Another individual identified in connection with the incident was not charged. Recent court documents describe how Trump and his advisers allegedly pressured federal agencies to reduce funding and grants to Colorado as part of an effort to secure Peters’ release. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted Peters’ sentence in May after months of pressure from Trump, who claimed to have pardoned Peters despite her conviction being under state law. The documents provide additional details about the campaign.
Curtis told The Guardian that Peters would not have access to Shasta County’s voting system, but he declined to describe her potential duties. Curtis did not respond to a separate request for comment.
If Peters accepts the position, she would be joining Shasta County, a deeply conservative region of Northern California that has become a national focal point for election-related conspiracy theories promoted by Trump and his supporters. Curtis has also faced scrutiny for promoting election claims similar to those advanced by Peters.
“This must stop immediately. Shasta County Registrar Clint Curtis is trying to hire election denier Tina Peters to collude with the Trump administration’s election fraud,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., wrote on Facebook.
Curtis first gained national attention more than two decades ago when he claimed to have created election software capable of manipulating vote totals without detection. Curtis testified before Congress that he developed the program at the request of Florida Rep. Tom Feeney, who denied the allegation.
In 2025, after former Shasta County Registrar of Voters Thomas Toller retired midway through his term, Curtis applied for the position. At the time, he was working as a lawyer and computer developer, despite having no prior experience running elections. He was among the candidates considered for the county clerk role. Curtis was living in Florida at the time and had no established connection to Shasta County. His background drew attention during the selection process.
During his 2025 interview, Curtis highlighted his relationships with prominent election deniers, including Lindell, disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
Since taking office, Curtis has faced repeated allegations from employees regarding his conduct. An internal investigation found that he allegedly physically threatened, verbally abused, and retaliated against employees in the Shasta County elections office. An external investigation also documented retaliation claims. Specific allegations included dragging an employee by the hair and threatening to “throat punch” another worker. Curtis has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Source: www.wired.com