Couy Griffin is a political figure who served as County Commissioner of Otero County, New Mexico from 2019 until she was removed from her position on Tuesday, 6 September 2022. Griffin is reviled and revered in. Last year, he became the first elected official to be banished from elected office in connection with the Capitol incursion. Whether this will ultimately stand up if appealed remains a major question and one that could have far-ranging implications. As per the sources, He was married to him for a long time and got divorced in 2019. New Mexico Supreme Court: Juveniles who plead can appeal adult sentences, Colorado State slices up Lobos; UNM is a 6 seed in league tourney, If it MUST be the NIT, UNM basketball has a plan, After bill was vetoed last year, lawmakers try again to boost pay of NM judges, Gun safe storage bill inches closer to governor's desk after winning Senate approval. Couy Griffin is a white man from Tularosa, Otero County, New Mexico, United States. In a written closing statement in court, he had argued that he had been at the Capitol to lobby vice president Mike Pence to not certify the election results, and that, In no way does that pertain to nor support insurrection/rebellion, reported the Albuquerque Journal. Perhaps leadership is knowingly/financially or literally in bed with the candidate? Otero County GOP Chairman Amy Smith Barela (ahhhh. Griffins attorney also said state campaign finance regulators were biased and singled out Cowboys for Trump for enforcement. Vice President Mike Pence was taken to an underground Senate loading dock after rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and spent four to five hours there under guard with his wife and daughter, the Secret Service confirmed Monday for the first time. While still a county commissioner, Griffin joined with Republican colleagues in refusing to certify results of the June 2022 primary election based on distrust of the voting systems used to tally the vote, even though the countys election official said there were no problems. Griffinrequested for the case to be dismissed and if it was not dismissed then he filed a demand for a jury trial in the case. Griffin returned the funds to Otero County, as officials questioned the legality of the voucher and payment. Mr. Griffin also said the reelection campaign for Trump would distance itself from Cowboys for Trump after Griffin posted the video. Testifying under oath Monday, Secret Service Inspector Lanelle R. Hawa confirmed that the secure location to which Pence was evacuated at 2:26 p.m. from the Senate chamber was a loading dock under the Senate plaza connected to the Capitol via the attached underground Capitol visitor center. The group said this week seek arbitration in a fight with the New Mexico Secretary of State over fines and required reports. Couy Dale Griffin (born 1973) is a former politician who served from 2019 to 2022 as a county commissioner for District 2 of Otero County, New Mexico, which covers Tularosa, Three Rivers, La Luz, the western parts of Alamogordo, and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. All I know is if the Chairman of the Otero Co GOP is willing to try and smoke a citizen there must be some major fire that needs to be extinguished. A January 6-related trial began Monday in the case of "Cowboys for Trump" founder Couy Griffin. But only certain parts of the Constitution and only some of the time. Third Judicial District court Judge Manuel Arrieta determined probable cause existed to proceed with a recall lawsuit filed against Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, initiating procedures to remove Griffin from public office. The original civil complaintwas filed March 11 with amended complaints filed March 24 and April 5 by the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin. In addition to those legal arguments, the Justice Department asserted that pinpointing Pence's precise location on January 6 would jeopardize the continuing security of future vice presidents, including Vice President Kamala Harris. The motion said Couy Griffin "has publicly. Effort to bar Jan. 6 figures from office notches historic win. In my next musing I will explore Couys court records more thoroughly. Griffins actions have been selfish and place the minor child at risk, in addition to his ex-wifes unborn child, Rosner said. Seriously girl, its time to come off your knees and wipe your chin. I will not be intimidated, I will not be threatened, and I sure as Hell wont back down!! McFadden, a former Virginia police officer and Justice Department criminal division official under the George W. Bush and Trump administrations, earlier admonished prosecutors for a sloppy mistake last year in which they claimed for months in court filings that vice president-elect Kamala D. Harris was also present on Capitol grounds during the attack. Copyright 2023 The Western Journal. Griffin deniedthe allegations claiming they were"frivolous and devoid of merit," court records state. For that official to attack a private citizen who is upset that the County Commissioner for his district is engaging in Fraud is troubling to say the least. Couy Griffin has been reported as one of the men involved in the riots at the U.S. Capitol that occurred on January 6, 2021. Prior arrests for drunk driving and more on the Backwoods Tees case. After all, if Couy Griffin is disqualified from holding office for his role in Jan. 6, then shouldnt Donald Trump be disqualified for his even greater role in Jan. 6th?. With all those donations Couy takes in you would think he would want to pay for the items his sheep give him. In a reversal, Biden said he would sign a resolution blocking a D.C. effort to reduce penalties for violent crimes. Griffin has not been criminally charged in reference to the September 2019 travel voucher. Griffin said in a text message that he felt blessed to be judged by a jury of peers in his home community and has never felt as vindicated.. The regular Otero County Commission meeting that had begun at 9 a.m. and was still underway into the afternoon had recessed to allow him to attend the hearing. It should be noted that New York City is over 200 miles north of Washington, D.C., and Griffin had to pass Washington to get there.. Couy Griffin poses with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on September 12, 2019. It is their calling by God that established this ministry. Olivers office initially prevailed in a June 2020 arbitration decision that ordered Cowboys for Trump to register as a political committee, file expenditure and contribution reports and pay a fine of $7,800. . "I would rather these allegation brought forward be heard from a group of peers rather than a (former Gov. As perABQ Journal, he was married toKourtnie. And a judge acquitted him of disorderly conduct. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in more than a dozen counties as the typically warm state digs out from rare snowstorms. Couy Griffin's Wife, Children Griffin is currently single, he was previously married to his girlfriend Kourtnie A Gates, but they were divorced in 2019. Griffin also met with then-President Donald Trump on Sept. 12, 2019. The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards. Defense attorney Jonathan Miller said Griffin was just a guy who rides a horse and tried to do the right thing by registering Cowboys for Trump as a for-profit corporation and notifying donors that they cannot deduct donations from taxes. By Jack Davis March 3, 2023 . Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. CNN A federal judge on Tuesday found Couy Griffin, a founder of Cowboys for Trump and the second January 6 defendant to go on trial as part of the Justice Department's massive prosecution,. More:Griffin gets guns back, but only at home, Although Griffin's trip to Washington, D.C. in September 2019 was initially for the proper reason of attending a regional county commissioners conference, the reason stated on a travel voucher submitted by Griffin was "meeting with President.". Read our editorial standards. As a strategic matter, Im skeptical that disqualification under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is the best way or even a productive way to fight back against anti-democratic forces across the country, Hemel said. In a pretrial order Friday, McFadden rejected the first argument, saying many others drawn to the Capitol have been charged and that Griffins leadership role and more blatant conduct at the scene might rationally merit different handling by prosecutors. Kourtnie Griffin, an Iraqi war veteran, understands passions for God and country and believes her ex-husband has a right to express his views, her lawyers said. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter. What now? Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, the founder of Cowboys for Trump, takes in the view from his ranch in Tularosa, N.M., on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. He has occasionally surfaced in national news for his violent rhetoric and his efforts to impugn the election results in his home state as recently as this summer.). Derrick Evans, was sentenced to three months in jail this summer for committing civil disorder on Jan. 6. In several high-profile races, those who didnt storm the Capitol but were otherwise involved in the Jan. 6 proceedings have won their partys nomination. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Since early 2020, Griffin has resisted pressure to register the group as a political committee, including filing an unsuccessful petition with the 10th District Court of Appeals. Also, Griffin reportedly hasa sonfrom his former relationship with Kourtnie. If this ruling stands up on appeal, it sets a significant precedent for the next election cycle, said Gerard Magliocca, a constitutional scholar at Indiana University who has studied Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. In 2019, he forged a group of rodeo acquaintances into the promotional group Cowboys for Trump, which staged horseback parades to spread then-President Donald Trumps conservative message on issues such as gun rights and illegal immigration. At the outset of the bench trial, McFadden confirmed that Griffin wanted his verdict decided by a judge rather than a jury. He was one of 10 more people to be arrested on Saturday and Sunday. He was also pastor at New Heart Church in . The Justice Department said in charging papers that, following the January 6 insurrection, Griffin recorded a video in which he claimed to have "climbed up on the top of the Capitol building" and stated his intention to return on January 20 the day then-President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. For the first time since the War of 1812, the U.S. Capitol was breached. SANTA FE, N.M., Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin must be removed from office and disqualified from holding future public office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution based on his participation in the January 6, 2021 insurrection, according to a lawsuit filed today by a group of New Mexico residents. Couy is the professional Otero County Commissioner who. Here you have Couy Griffin as Cowboys For Trump not only hiding assets from his ex-wife and son. South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty on all four counts in connection with the 2021 murders of his wife and son. Griffin invoked free speech protections in declining to register and disclose the donors to Cowboys for Trump and expressed concern that financial contributors might be harassed. New Mexico Supreme Court: Juveniles who plead can appeal Ruling stems from the case of Christopher Rodriguez, who was sentenced as an adult to 14 years in prison for his role in the San Juan sheriff shoots dog during off-duty traffic stop, Luna County man charged in brothers beating death. But what officials disclosed of Pences whereabouts may not be what the defendant hoped. Prosecutors called Matthew Struck, who traveled with Griffin to Washington, DC, and recorded videos of him on January 6. That travel voucher was approved and a check was cut to Griffin in the amount of$3,237.48. Professionally, Kourtnie is an Iraqi war veteran. We proceeded and the judge found for us.". (Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP), Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. The hearing continued for about an hour after Griffin exited the hearing. Couy Griffin has been barred from in-person visits with his son due to social media posts that have produced threats and for refusing to comply with the requirements of the COVID-19 mask. No Maam, Griffin said in a video recorded Jan. 7 cited in government filings. You havent shown he [Pence] ever left the restricted area, the judge told Griffins defense attorney, Nicholas D. Smith. The Cowboys for Trump website was not operational Feb. 13. The verdict from a 12-member jury capped a two-day trial in Alamogordo, the community where Griffin served as an Otero County commissioner until he was banished from office last year for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. A grain-mill fire broke out in New Zealand on Thursday, with a fire official saying the plant was being "treated as a crime scene.". While still a county commissioner, Griffin joined with Republican colleagues in refusing to certify the June 2022 primary election results based on distrust of the voting systems used to tally the vote. I dont know but I will find out. This would explain why Couys GoFundMe Page has beneficiary as a Deborah Foley, not Couy Griffin or his sister Kayrn Kay Griffin as being the beneficiary for supposedly Couys Legal Fund. You want to say that was a mob? I mean my goodness why on earth would you leave town with bald tires and faulty windshield wipers? As a reminder, Chair of the Otero County GOP is an Official office within the party. Defense attorney Jonathan Miller portrayed Griffin as just a guy who rides a horse" and tried to do the right thing by registering Cowboys for Trump as a for-profit corporation and notifying donors that they cannot deduct donations from taxes. Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin is being investigated by the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office on grounds he violated the Campaign Reporting Act and the Governmental Conduct Act, and that he allegedly committed embezzlement, racketeering, money laundering and making or permitting a false voucher for public funds. But U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ruled late last week that the defense had a bedrock right to challenge the governments evidence establishing that Griffin violated restricted grounds. Griffin was previously convicted in federal court of a misdemeanor for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, without going inside the building. Otero Commissioners to discuss calls for resignation of Couy Griffin on Thursday, banishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation, approximately $3,500 from a restricted donor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Griffin also offered to give people of color what he called a 101 lesson on racial identity and said anyone who does not identify as American first or opposes the Second Amendment right to bear arms should leave the U.S. or go home. Statements like go back to where you came from is a racist insult aimed for decades at immigrants and African Americans in the United States. (Griffin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal judge reverses detention order for N.M. county commissioner facing trial in Jan. 6 riot. A copy of the check was included in the warrant packet. The office alleged Griffin misused campaign donations associated with Cowboys for Trump to pay child support for his son. Couy Griffin Wife, Children Griffin is currently single, he was previously married to his girlfriend Kourtnie A Gates, but they were divorced in 2019. If you dont believe me, ask all those who thought Dennis Rader was such a nice guy. The dismissed charge against Griffin carried a potential punishment of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. But the judge greenlighted a request from Griffin's defense lawyers to question a Secret Service agent about a lingering question around the events of January 6: the location of then-Vice President Mike Pence. "Pretty soon, it was like a huge, amazing Trump rally," Griffin said. For example, I can be a real asshole in writing. The motion said Couy Griffin has publicly expressed views and opinions which have incited threats of violence to his ex-wife and son. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin was found not guilty Wednesday of a misdemeanor charge of failing to register a political committee at a trial in southern New Mexico. Ahead of the trial, McFadden rejected Griffin's claim that he was politically targeted. The text of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states (key parts bolded): The last time elected officials were disqualified from office using the 14th Amendment appears to be 1869, shortly after the Civil War and the ratification of the 14th Amendment. Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin was found not guilty Wednesday of a misdemeanor charge of failing to register a political committee at a trial in southern New Mexico . Here you have Couy Griffin as Cowboys For Trump not only hiding assets from his ex-wife and son. Instead, Griffin has participated in manipulation in a custody dispute by asking his son to pray that his mother do the right thing, Rosner wrote. The State Auditor was notified of the voucher and launched an investigation. That's what Otero County's District 2 Commissioner Couy Griffin alleged at a May 17 gathering in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. A New Mexico judge on Tuesday removed Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin by invoking the 14th Amendments prohibition on those who engaged in insurrection from serving in office. They want to talk about playing a Black national anthem before football games? Although Griffin's trip to Washington, D.C. in September 2019 was initially for the proper reason of attending a regional county . It would be helpful if they would take this opportunity to rule really for the first time what Section 3 means.. When two thugs tried to attack an elderly man, he pulled out his own weapon and fired back, scaring them away. A Luna County man was arrested Monday for allegedly beating his older brother to death while he slept at their home outside of Deming. (Griffin) chose not to take it. How Republicans became the party of Trumps election lie after Jan. 6, It is wild to see that he was in a loading dock in an underground parking garage beneath the Capitol complex, Karl said during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. There was no place to sit, no desk, no chairs, nothing.. Theyve got to resolve the question of Trumps eligibility as soon as possible. Karl, ABCs chief Washington correspondent, said last November in promoting his new book, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, that he had seen images taken by a White House photographer with Pence that day showing where he, his wife, Karen, and daughter Charlotte Pence Bond waited out the Capitol breach. The judge said the jury has till 10 tonight to come to a verdict or it will be called a mistrial. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. Well, read his exclusive personal life details and the reason behind his arrest in the below facts!if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'millionsofcelebs_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',124,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-millionsofcelebs_com-medrectangle-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'millionsofcelebs_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',124,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-millionsofcelebs_com-medrectangle-3-0_1'); .medrectangle-3-multi-124{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. The extra trip to New York City exceeds the scope of the authorized travel, court records state. I guess one needs to ask whats in this for the Chairman of Otero County GOP? Griffin told The Associated Press hes had to make sacrifices for his beliefs and didnt think it was fair that the court will keep his son away from him. If you find yourself getting wet over an elected official you are no longer using your mind or good senses. "The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin is very pleased that we have been found with probable cause, no less for all five of the allegations we presented.". The ruling comes after lawyers for Griffins ex-wife, Kourtnie, filed an emergency motion in May to modify their custody and visitation agreement. Otero Countys financial director told AG investigators that, following a records request for the vouchers and several complaints from citizens, Griffin voluntarily opted to pay the entire $3,237.48 back to Otero County, court records state. Couy isAmericanby nationality as he is a native of New Mexico. At the same time, Griffins conviction was for misdemeanor trespassing, for which he was sentenced to 14 days and a $3,000 fine. The judge said Griffin also repeatedly has defied health orders to put a mask on his son at public events and has openly said he will continue to do so. All I did was stand on the steps of the Capitol and pray with people, thats it.. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the worlds stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. Griffin's attorney also accused state campaign finance regulators of bias and singling out Cowboys for Trump for enforcement. Couy Griffin Wife- Is He Married? Who is Couy Griffin? But when it was operational, it offered options to donate to the organization by direct donation or by purchasing merchandise. Griffins marching with the mob all the way to the inaugural stage, knowing the mobs insurrectionary purpose, likewise constitutes an overt act.. The board ultimately certified the election on a 2-1 vote with Griffin casting the lone no vote. Prior to Griffin's leaving the hearing, Arrieta told him that the Otero County Commission would have a quorum present without Griffin and that this hearing may be more important at this time. The Court concludes that Mr. Griffins crossing of barricades to approach the Capitol were overt acts in support of the insurrection, as Griffins presence closer to the Capitol building increased the insurrectionists intimidation by numbers, wrote Mathew, who was appointed to the bench by former Republican Gov. The disqualification of Berger, for instance, was later widely regarded as overreach. Is the only good Democrat a dead Democrat? It doesnt bother local leadership that Couy has made this EXACT same trip time and time again, through donations for whatever cause will pay. Now he has regrets., In middle of Jan. 6 riot, Oath Keepers chief reached out to Proud Boys, Kyle Kuzma, Wizards start fast and dont look back in win over Raptors, Nationals relievers see benefit in tinkering with new pitches, Roger Goodell, Muriel Bowser discussed future of RFK site in December call, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show,, 163 Republicans who have embraced Trumps false claims are running for statewide positions that would give them authority over the administration of elections. The disclosure verifies reporting by ABC journalist and author Jonathan Karl and came in testimony by the liaison officer for Pences Secret Service security detail against the second defendant to face trial in the Capitol attack. Miller, a public defender, said Griffins intention was to speak boldly and openly about common sense convictions and national pride without yielding to government control through the regulation of nonprofit groups. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks during a presentation led by David and Erin Clements on election vulnerabilities during a special meeting of the Otero County Board of Commissioners . But the judge paid close attention to testimony Monday about whether Griffin knew that he was crossing barriers or otherwise entering areas off limits to the public and the reason the barriers were erected.
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