QAnon influencer Juan O. Savin, who is involved in an effort to elect people who have pushed false voter fraud claims to state election-administration posts, says he was personally involved in Colorado Republican secretary of state candidate David Winney’s decision to drop out of the race. Savin also suggested he encouraged fellow Republican secretary of state candidate Tina Peters to run and that he was involved with Winney’s endorsement of Peters. During appearances on two QAnon programs with Savin, Winney appeared to confirm some of these claims.

Last year, Nevada Republican secretary of state candidate Jim Marchant announced that he was leading a “coalition” of “other like-minded secretary of state candidates” -- i.e. those who have falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen -- to “take back our country.” Among the candidates Marchant promoted (some of whom have personally expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory) was Winney. Marchant also said that Savin -- a QAnon influencer who some conspiracy theorists believe is the late John F. Kennedy Jr. -- had been involved in the effort, which Savin has since confirmed.

In early March, Winney dropped out of the secretary of state race to instead run for El Paso County commissioner. He also endorsed Peters for secretary of state. During Peters’ tenure as county clerk of Mesa County, data from her office reached QAnon influencer Ron Watkins, which triggered a criminal investigation into the breach. Peters has since been indicted. 

Days after Winney dropped out of the race, he appeared with Savin on multiple QAnon shows (one of which is on YouTube, despite that platform’s supposed QAnon crackdown) to discuss false voter fraud claims, the secretary of state race, and Peters’ indictment. During the appearances, Savin said that he and Winney had “talked privately” and that “he decided to step back from that because we understand that Tina is going to be, you know, kind of a high-profile figure in that she knows this material.” Winney later said to Savin, “I really appreciated your help and your guidance and in some thoughts towards that and how to and everything.”

Savin later said to Winney, “The only reason when you and I talked that it made sense to lateral and for you to take a supporting position over the county commissioner and for Tina to go ahead is because she had the public eye.” Winney also lauded Savin, saying, “You always amaze me at the depth of your grasp of history and scripture way beyond anything that I’ve had.”

During these appearances, Savin also suggested he was involved with Peters jumping into the race, saying, “Tina over these ensuing months decided to run for secretary of state. We had talked privately, we talked back at [MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s election fraud] symposium and other times during the course of the fall, and she decided to run for secretary of state in Colorado.” He added that the prospect of Winney as county commissioner “works perfectly with” Peters as secretary of state. Savin also said during one of the appearances that Peters would have been “flying out to Las Vegas to meet with myself and others this weekend.”

This is not Savin’s first mention of his alleged connection with Peters. While appearing on one of the QAnon shows in February, he said he was with Peters “last night for dinner and she joined me for something and her campaign manager.”