More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. This is a historic win for accountability for the January 6th insurrection and the efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power in the United States," said Noah Bookbinder, the president of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), an ethics watchdog that filed a lawsuit against Griffin, calling for his removal. Otero County, N.M., Commissioner Couy Griffin stands outside the federal court after receiving a verdict in his trial on March 22, 2022 in Washington. Defense attorney Nicholas Smith said the case against Griffin was built on a series of false assumptions and premises. Trial testimony showed Griffin went to the Capitol to support free and fair elections, Smith told the judge. 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Why did he motion Byrd to wait? [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. Griffin was arrested when he returned to Washington on Jan. 17, 2021, after saying during an Otero County Commission meeting that he planned to return for Bidens inauguration with his .357 Henry Big Boy rifle and single action revolver. 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It would be one thing if he were arrested for assaulting someone, for planning to enter the building, for threatening members of Congress inside. Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, Friday, June. | The judges verdict bolstered U.S. prosecutors decision to charge about half of the more than 750 people arrested to date in the Capitol siege with misdemeanors only if they did not assault police, damage property or act to obstruct the proceedings of Congress. But the case against Griffin is unlike most Jan. 6 cases and may not be a bellwether for defendants who are charged with storming the Capitol. And being in the audience of Thursdays meeting instead of being seated with the commissioners brought a specific feeling to his mind. Watch Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin get arrested in Washington D.C. Couy Griffin has been charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. White, Mitchell and Lakind were represented by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the New Mexico-based law firms of Freedman Boyd Hollander and Goldberg P.A, Dodd Law Office, LLC, and the Law Office of Amber Fayerberg, LLC, as well as by Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC. The second proposed resolution is not the first which Otero County has considered in objection to New Mexico's public health emergency orders. Arguably, he was trying to calm people down, not rile them up, he said. It is named for Miguel Antonio Otero, the territorial governor when the county was created. "I don't think it's fair to accuse me of insurrection," he says. The Otero County Commission met Thursday for the first time since former Commissioner Couy Griffin was removed from office by court order earlier this week because of his participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Griffin, one of three members of the Otero County Commission in southern New Mexico, is among a handful of riot defendants who either held public office or ran for a government leadership post in the 2 1/2 years before the attack. Leading up to Jan. 6, Griffin and his organization helped mobilize the "Stop the Steal" movement that falsely claimed Donald Trump's election defeat in 2020 was the result of widespread fraud, an assertion rejected by multiple courts, state election officials and members of his own administration, Mathew wrote. He has supported a $50,000 taxpayer-funded audit of the 2020 election results in the small conservative county, whose 24,000 votes Trump carried by 25 percentage points. Couy Griffin addresses reporters outside federal court in Washington on June 17. Couy Griffin first elected official barred from office for participating in Jan. 6 attack. The New Mexico Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the State's authority to impose such mandates. District Court Judge Francis Mathew ruled that Couy Griffin, an Otero County commissioner, is now disqualified from holding public office because he violated Section 3 of the Fourteenth. New Mexico StateAuditor Brian Coln said his office's work would continue in the face of the conviction. January 6, 2021 was a dark day in our history. "Griffin shall be removed from his position as an Otero County Commissioner effective immediately.". Lowery was awarded the 2020 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award from the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, and the 2021 Sunshine Award from the New Mexico Press Association for his reporting that highlighted lack of transparency from multiple government agencies. The Otero County Commission held a special meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss a resolution about county employees or elected officials who travel of state.. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin leaves the federal court in Washington on March. According to Barron's Law Dictionary, moral turpitude is "a subjective term for baseness, vileness or dishonesty of a high degree A crime of moral turpitude is one demonstrating depravity in the private and social duties which one person owes to another and society at large,contrary to what is accepted and customary.". District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta ruled in favor of the recall effort. Griffin, who attended proceedings in a black cowboy hat, left the courthouse in D.C. echoing former president Donald Trumps baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The hearing was held on April 8, 2021. Griffin, however, attended the meeting and even spoke during the public comment session. Judge Mathews decision is a signal to elected officials everywhere who want to snub their noses at the constitution, foment mob violence and disobey the law, said Mario Jimenez, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, in a news release. Sept 6 (Reuters) - A New Mexico county commissioner became the first public official to lose their job for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol when a state judge on Tuesday ruled that the Republican violated the U.S. Constitution by engaging in an insurrection. WASHINGTON A federal judge on Tuesday convicted an elected official from New Mexico of illegally entering restricted US Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct duringthe riotthat disrupted Congress from certifyingJoe Bidens presidential election victory. Their first witness was Matthew Struck, who joined Griffin at the Capitol and served as his videographer. The left is always crying about how our democracy is under attack. (Screenshot via the Otero County Commission livestream). Griffin was removed from office under theU.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, which states that an elected official may be removed from their position for acts against the government, including insurrection which some experts have labeled the events of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. In . Judge: Now Imgoing to ask you again, who drafted those pleadings? Griffin says he was not violent while at the Capitol that day and wasn't aware that he was trespassing at the time. Well what bigger example is there whenever the courts remove a duly elected representative only to make way for the governor to hand select who she wants to represent the people? Griffin said. [5][6], Recall supporters said Griffin had used the office for personal gain. 0:36. Griffin said he plans to appeal the ruling and that during the appeals process, he wont be representing himself. "I just want those that have already come to the conclusion that I'm guilty, I just again ask you to put the brakes on a little bit and let the legal process take place," Griffin said. We are actively considering all options under New Mexico law. Media. Public policy. The courts ruling today is a historic moment for our country. We can only get our country back from the ground floor. Both carry maximum sentences of one years imprisonment. Griffin told NPR he will appeal this latest ruling. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? [5], Recall supporters started circulating petitions on July 1, 2021, and had 90 days to collect signatures equal to 33.3% of voters who cast ballots in Griffin's most recent election, a total of 1,574 signatures. Griffin was accused of trespassing onto the west steps of the Capitol Building Jan. 6. In regards to my position here in Otero County, it is a position that has been a great honor to date and I believe will continue to be a great honor moving into the future. I only know him by his first name, which his first name is Hiramand hes not a licensed attorney, hes not a BAR-certified attorney, hes a friend of mine who knows the law.. Video from that day shows Griffin "working up" supporters of Trump against then-Vice President Mike Pence, the court says. The list includes 69 candidates for governor in 30 states, as well as 55 candidates for the U.S. Senate, 13 candidates for state attorney general and 18 candidates for secretary of state in places where that person is the states top election official. Each charge was punishable by up to one year in jail. Griffin is one of at least 10 people charged in the riot who either held public office or ran for a government leadership post in the 2 years before the attack, according to an Associated Press tally. Griffin could not only lose his seat on the commission but could also be barred from ever running for office again. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. A key question in Griffins case was whether he entered a restricted area while Vice President Mike Pence was still present on Capitol grounds, a prerequisite for the US Secret Service to invoke access restrictions. 7 Apr. Were your resource. Griffin is fighting to . [3] Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, 2021. And in May, officials in Georgia ruled that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene could remain on the ballot after her role in the Capitol riot. This story has been updated with a statement from Couy Griffin and more information about the recall. Assistant U.S. Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP file "I have huge concerns with the voting machines," said Commissioner. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. More: Couy Griffin arrives for trial in Washington, D.C. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17 in person in U.S. Federal Court. "This is very evident of the tyranny that is raising its head up in our country.". "I didn't have any intent of being a part of an insurrection or a violent mob. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. A criminal court convicted Griffin of misdemeanor trespassing on Jan. 6, which he plans to appeal. Assistant US Attorney Janani Iyengar said Griffin climbed over metal bike racks, up a plywood ramp and shouted over the crowd about his belief that the election was stolen from Trump. Griffin and his two fellow commissioners voted to conduct the audit despite concerns about its legality noted by County Attorney R.B. Griffin: A friend of mine in Roswell, New Mexico. Griffin was booted from the board earlier in the week by court order due to his participation in the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. "I was shocked by the response from the court. Now its no longer the peoples choice. In his ruling on the case, Mathew contended that Griffin was not eligible to hold office because of his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. Couy Griffin's Tweets. In July, Griffin filed a motion to quash the lawsuit. A news release regarding the request for resignation alleged Griffin "from his first day as an Otero County Commissioner has devoted himself to promoting his Cowboys for Trump organization rather than being a county commissionerwho serves the citizens of Otero County who elected him.". Failing to be present at county commission meetings, Being unable to perform his duties within his district due to being banned from the sovereign nation and lands of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Filming a video inside the County Commission Administration building to solicit funds for a political organization, Filing a travel voucher with the county to pay for events that did not relate to his duties as a county commissioner, Soliciting and receiving a donation from a restricted donor. Much of Mondays trial was spent with the plaintiffs attorneys going over Griffins actions on January 6th, bringing up videos and pictures from that day. Recall supporters filed paperwork on March 11, 2021. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. In considering closing arguments submitted by Griffin in the case asking Mathew to consider the will of District 2 constituents, the judge said: "The irony of Mr. Griffin's argument that this Court should refrain from applying the law and consider the will of the people in District 2 of Otero County who retained him as a county commissioner against a recall effort as he attempts to defend his participation in an insurrection by a mob whose goal, by his own admission, was to set aside the results of a free, fair and lawful election by a majority of the people of the entire country (the will of the people) has not escaped this court.". 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310-6935 Phone: 575-437-7427 Fax: 575-443-2904 Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. "(Griffin) became constitutionally disqualified from federal and state positions specified (under the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, Section 3) and forfeited his current office as Otero County Commissioner effective Jan. 6, 2021," Mathew's ruling states. I feel like I was just really railroaded," Griffin said. This decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3, and . According to the judge's ruling, Griffin's group, called Cowboys for Trump, "played a key role in Stop the Steal mobilization efforts" ahead of Jan. 6, 2021. They wont even give me a key to my office so I can get my stuff out without being surveilled by the sheriffs department.. They are not above it. Federal courts | Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in Otero County, New Mexico, stands outside a federal court in Washington on March 22, 2022, after receiving a verdict in his trial. Griffin was released on his own recognizance. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Now he has regrets., In middle of Jan. 6 riot, Oath Keepers chief reached out to Proud Boys. And there is also footage of Griffin illegally breaching multiple security barriers and egging on violence by rallying rioters with a bullhorn. An Otero County budget work session is scheduled for March 24. "The court's decision sent a message that powerful people can't rise up against the execution of the laws of the United States and the peaceful transfer of power without consequences," he says, "and the country needs to be protected against those who would undermine our democratic principles.". US District Judge Trevor McFadden heard one day of testimony without a jury on Monday before handing down a verdict in the misdemeanor case against Otero County CommissionerCouy Griffin, a 48-year-old former rodeo rider who helped found a group called Cowboys for Trump. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) -The trial for Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder, Couy Griffin begins Monday in Santa Fe. The Soldiers' Monument, also known as The Obelisk, was toppled by Indigenous Peoples Dayactivists in October 2020, an event which has already resulted in five arrests. "But now we had this thing happen where people in the U.S. engaged in an armed insurrection to stop the legally mandated counting of votes and the peaceful transfer of power. "Elected officials must respect the rule of law, and we will evaluate whether this misdemeanor convictionand any of Griffin's other actions warrant his removal from public office," Mares said March 22. [7][8], Recall supporters listed five reasons for recall in their request to the Twelfth District Court, including:[2], At the recall hearing, Griffin called the recall supporters' allegations "frivolous, baseless and politically motivated," according to the Associated Press. Phone: 575-491-7265. But hes being prosecuted for standing on the steps, a place a federal appeals court has declared to be a public forum, Smith said. Michelle Lujan Grisham, confirmed that the governor will fill the vacancy, adding that the governor accepts applications from eligible residents as possible replacements. Griffins trial posed a different legal test, requiring U.S. prosecutors to prove that the defendant knowingly breached a restricted area where then-Vice President Mike Pence or others receiving Secret Service protection were or would be present. More:Couy Griffin released from pretrial detention after being held on Capitol riot charges, More:Matherly, Marquardt demand Griffin resign from Otero County Commission. Phone: 575-491-7265. Otero County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. "I regret their actions but I don't regret my actions. Griffin represented himself during a two-day bench trial last month in District Court in Santa Fe. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Griffin could have thought business was still taking place, but the burden was on the government to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, McFadden said. The Otero County Commissioners have had enough of Cowboys for Trump leader Couy Griffin. Griffin was removed from office under theU.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, which states that an elected official may be removed from their position for acts against the government, including insurrection which some experts have labeled the events of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Pence remained in the loading dock location for four to five hours, until the joint session of Congress resumed on the night of Jan. 6, Hawa testified. In March, a judge blocked a lawsuit seeking to remove Republican North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn from running for reelection. Nora Meyers Sackett, a spokesperson for Gov. Likes. McFadden set sentencing for June 17, after defense attorney Nicholas D. Smith declined an offer for immediate sentencing. My intent of going to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 was because I had concerns that our elections had been compromised.". Replies. Thats the thing that has hurt the most in this. 18.5K Followers. I love the smell of napalm in the air, Griffin said in an apparent reference to a quote from the war movie Apocalypse Now.. The outcome of Griffins trial could have a ripple effect, helping other Capitol riot defendants decide whether to let a judge or a jury decide their case. The court is expected to resume Tuesday at 9 a.m. Pinned Tweet. Social Services Annex: 215 Raton Ave. La Junta, CO 81050. Email Amy Barela. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 0:36. He covers politics and criminal justice and has reported on New Mexico for the Las Vegas Optic, Santa Fe Reporter, Los Angeles Times and others. Griffin, one of three members of the Otero County Commission in southern New Mexico, is among a handful of riot defendants who either held. A former Disneyland Paris rodeo cowboy and self-styled preacher, Griffin is a stonemason and racial provocateur whose use of social media won him plaudits from Trump and an invitation to the Oval Office. [13], At a county commission meeting on February 11, 2021, Griffin said he was accused of crimes but not convicted. Griffin was arrested on Jan. 8, 2021and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building relating to his participation in theCapitol riot. This lawsuit is about removing a duly elected county commissioner from office through the civil court. Tribes need tax revenue. Couy Griffin speaks for three minutes during the public comment period of the Otero County Commission meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. In a statement released on January 19, 2021, the two commissioners said, "Couy Griffin from his first day as an Otero County Commissioner had devoted himself to promoting Cowboys for Trump for Trump organization rather than being a county commissioner who serves the citizens of Otero County who elected him. [3] Media & News Company Joined August 2021. The resolution states that employees and elected . It really looked a whole lot like what the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment had in mind.". Griffin had vowed to arrive at the courthouse on horseback on Monday. All rights reserved. The judge citied Griffins recorded statements saying that by the time he arrived on the grounds at 2:31 p.m., he erroneously thought Pence and Congress had already certified the election. She's the current county commissioner for the area.. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. "A county commissioner could propose a resolution saying that pigs can fly, it doesn't make it true.". An effort to recall Couy Griffin (R) from his position as the District 2 representative on the Otero County Commission in New Mexico did not go to a vote in 2021. Thats the very essence of democracy, and this ruling affirms it., Jimenez added that Common Cause hoped the ruling would set a precedent for other elected officials who "disregard their oath of office.". After attendingTrumps Stop the Steal rallyon Jan. 6, Griffin and Struck walked over barriers and up a staircase to enter a stage that was under construction on the Capitols Lower West Terrace for Bidens inauguration, according to prosecutors. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE 719-383-3000: CSU EXTENSION OFFICE 719-254-7608: HEALTH DEPARTMENT (LA JUNTA) 719-383-3040: HEALTH DEPARTMENT (ROCKY FORD) 719-254-5300: . Maya Srikrishnan, Center For Public Integrity. How to run for office | Judge Mathews decision is a signal to elected officials everywhere who want to snub their noses at the constitution, foment mob violence and disobey the law, said Mario Jimenez, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, in a news release. 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.In September 2022, Griffin was removed from office under the Disqualification . The ruling also states that although the plaintiffs in the case presented evidence to support their claim, Griffin did not present any evidence for his defense. Hes on the [inauguration] stage, while police worked to restore order for hours. Humility, brother, he said with a chuckle. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Instead, he showed up as a passenger in a pickup truck that had a horse trailer on the back. Noah Bookbinder the president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW said the ruling against Griffin is the first time since the Civil War era that any public official has been removed under the provision of the Fourteenth Amendment, which bars anyone from holding state or federal office if they engage or support any kind of insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. NEW MEXICO(KRQE) The trial for Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder, Couy Griffin begins Monday in Santa Fe. Attempts by the Alamogordo Daily News to contact Griffin about the ruling were unsuccessful.

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