NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Padilla Slam Shasta County Plans to Hire Election-Denier, Urge California SOS to Conduct Maximum Oversight of Access to Sensitive Election Materials

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.), sent a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber expressing deep concern regarding Shasta County Registrar of Voters' announcement to hire convicted former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters as a senior advisor and urged her office to conduct maximum oversight of Peters' access to sensitive election materials. The letter also copied the Shasta County Board of Supervisors.

"Peters, the former County Clerk for Mesa, Colorado, was convicted on seven separate criminal charges, including four felonies, for participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election," the Senators wrote. "We are concerned that this hiring decision in Shasta County has less to do with Ms. Peters' qualifications, and more to do with the President's obsession with interfering in the midterm elections - having suggested a need to 'take over the voting' by installing individuals who would put the President's agenda above following the law, and his fixation on passage of the SAVE Act, which would create significant barriers to the ballot for millions of Americans."

The Senators highlighted Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis' comments that he is planning to hire Peters "to assist us with making sure the FBI and DHS can test the ballots for authenticity."

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security have no role in the administration of elections, and this statement indicates the potential for violations of California and/or federal election laws. Following the FBI's unjustified raid on Fulton County, Georgia's election offices and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's illegal seizure of ballots last year, and Ms. Peters' own record, the California Secretary of State's office must take this situation seriously," the Senators continued. "If county officials proceed with this misguided plan, we request that you provide the maximum oversight possible to ensure that Ms. Peters does not improperly access ballots, voting systems, or sensitive information that could impact the rights and privacy of the over 100,000 registered voters in Shasta County in violation of California's recently passed S.B. 73 or any other state or federal election law."

The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Secretary Weber,

Thank you for your continued efforts to ensure California's elections remain safe and secure. California, like many states across the country, reminds us that elections do not occur just once every two or four years. In the last year alone, your office has overseen a statewide special election, the 2026 primary election, a special congressional primary election, and yesterday's general election in that same race. With over 23 million registered voters across the state, the California Secretary of State's Office has a critical responsibility for not only ensuring elections are administered to the highest degree of accuracy but also ensuring that our election laws are enforced and retaining public confidence in our electoral system.

Given the current environment facing our elections, we write with grave concern over the statements by the Shasta County Registrar of Voters, Mr. Clint Curtis, that he plans to hire former Colorado elections clerk Tina Peters next month, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, either to replace the current Assistant Registrar of Voters or as a consultant.

Ms. Peters, the former County Clerk for Mesa, Colorado, was convicted on seven separate criminal charges, including four felonies, for participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election. These events cost the rural county of Mesa, Colorado at least $1.4 million in legal fees and other impacts. Despite the harm that Ms. Peters caused to our electoral system, her sentence was commuted after President Trump exerted corrupt political pressure over the state of Colorado, including withholding millions of dollars in federal grants. We are concerned that this hiring decision in Shasta County has less to do with Ms. Peters' qualifications, and more to do with the President's obsession with interfering in the midterm elections - having suggested a need to "take over the voting" by installing individuals who would put the President's agenda above following the law, and his fixation on passage of the SAVE Act, which would create significant barriers to the ballot for millions of Americans.

Sincer her release, Ms. Peters' apology has completely failed to demonstrate she has any real remorse for the damage she has caused voters in Colorado and it is clear that she does not belong in a role overseeing any part of our electoral system. In fact, Mr. Curtis has stated that Ms. Peters is being hired to "assist us with making sure the FBI and DHS can test the ballots." The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security have no role in the administration of elections, and this statement indicates the potential for violations of California and/or federal election laws. Following the FBI's unjustified raid on Fulton County, Georgia's election offices and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's illegal seizure of ballots last year, and Ms. Peters' own record, the California Secretary of State's office must take this situation seriously.

We strongly encourage your office to reach out to Mr. Curtis and the Shasta County Board to share concerns about the plan to place Ms. Peters in any position of authority over elections in California. If Shasta County puts Ms. Peters in a position to again violate election laws following her convictions, county taxpayers could be burdened with unwelcomed and potentially hefty expenses. If county officials proceed with this misguided plan, we request that you provide the maximum oversight possible to ensure that Ms. Peters does not improperly access ballots, voting systems, or sensitive information that could impact the rights and privacy of the over 100,000 registered voters in Shasta County in violation of California's recently passed S.B. 73 or any other state or federal election law.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

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