Embattled Colorado county clerk hiding out with Mike Lindell as FBI investigates data leak in her office

The Colorado county clerk under investigation for a voting data leak has seemingly vanished.

Tina Peters hasn't returned to work as Mesa County clerk since the data breach was revealed, and she's being sheltered by conspiracy-mongering MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, whose voter-fraud cyber symposium she was attending when the investigation was announced, reported NPR.

"She's in hiding by her own admission," said county commissioner Scott Mcinnis, who is a Republican like Peters. "We want to make sure we take the threats against her very, very seriously. We want to make sure she's protected, but she needs to come back to work."

Mesa County had to spend nearly $1 million to renew its contract with Dominion Voting Systems after state officials banned the compromised equipment from being used in upcoming elections, and both local prosecutors and the FBI are investigating whether Peters allowed an unauthorized person to gain access to the voting machine software before passwords and other data were leaked online.

"It's stunning to me as an election professional because it is so completely outside the norm," said Matt Masterson, who oversaw election security last year at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "Because they know that their job is to be protectors of democracy, of our system, of our elections, and this is the first time in my memory that I can recall an election official brazenly shirking that duty in pursuit of their own benefit in such a way."

"For these ongoing conspiracies and lies to continue to be perpetrated for political and financial gain, is sad and sells out our democracy at a time when election officials risk their health and safety to do this," he added.