Tina Peters surrenders, released after arrest warrant issued for bond violation

Tina Peters turned herself in to authorities on Thursday night in Pitkin County following an arrest warrant issued by the Fruita Police Department. Online records show that she turned herself in at 9:22 p.m. Thursday at the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office. 

Peters is now free on bond. She is accused of violating an order to not contact elections officials in Mesa County. 

CBS4's Rick Sallinger spoke with Peters as she was driving to Aspen to surrender in Pitkin County, "Are you going to turn yourself in now?"

"Yes," Peters replied. " I'm going to get my stuff and go through their little game." 

The arrest warrant was issued claiming Peters violated a restraining order as part her conditions of release. Peters explained what happened.

"I sent out a courtesy email, a blanket email to all the clerks in the state. It just so happened to include one election official in Mesa County." 

That email was to let them know she is still pursing the Republican nomination for Secretary of State after losing in the June primary election. According to the court, she was not permitted to contact the Mesa County Clerk's office. 

Peters told Sallinger, "When I go through and send a blanket email I don't go through and see who's who at the zoo."

This past week, Peters and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Ron Hanks sent formal requests for recounts of their races. They say there are irregularities. 

The Colorado Secretary of State's office said a recount will cost $236,000 for each candidate. As of July 15, the deadline for the office to receive the money, neither candidate had paid. 

Peters was on bond because she was indicted on charges of tampering with election equipment. Sensitive information ended up on right wing websites.

Just last week Peters escaped jail time after traveling out of state without the court's permission. Then she spoke to a gathering of a conservative sheriff's organization in Las Vegas. Her attorney maintained it was her fault that she failed to give notice to the court. 

Peters is not happy. 

"The more they do to me Rick, the more it makes people mad because they know you don't persecute somebody like this on this kind of thing, unreasonable," she said. 

Peters is free and her next court dates are scheduled for Aug. 5 and Aug. 29.

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