The motion said Couy Griffin "has publicly expressed views and opinions which have incited threats of violence" to his ex-wife and son. When local Republican Party Leadership will openly attack average (ie not running for office) citizens to silence their criticism of their elected official we have a HUGE problem inside that party. So, there are details about his age and birthday at the moment. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Nicole Maxwell / Alamogordo Daily News Reffitt's trial presented a test for the Justice Department as it undertakes an investigation it has called "unprecedented," and the conviction marked a significant victory in the nearly 800 prosecutions related to the January 6 attack. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called the suspect a bad rapper and also compared him to a "baby" at a news conference. Instead, he waived trial by jury and bet his freedom on a bench trial before McFadden, who Trump appointed to the federal bench in 2017. You want to say that was a mob? Couy Griffin, the founder of the Cowboys for Trump group, appeared to turn on the former president . For example, I can be a real asshole in writing. He shouldnt be punished for showing his pride in his country, Miller said. A two-day trial was scheduled to start Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Alamogordo, N.M. Horoscope for Friday, 3/03/23 by Christopher Renstrom, No seriously, dont drive up to Tahoe this weekend, Wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift issues somber update, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe ski resort following historic blizzard, Scream publicity stunt floods Bay Area dispatch with 911 calls, The best fried chicken is at a San Francisco strip club, Rain reenters Bay Area forecast: Have an umbrella near you, The Warriors broke Russell Westbrook, just like old times, Mochi muffin bakery closes SF cafe after just 4 months, Oakland ransomware attackers leak 'confidential' data, Arrest in killing of woman seen running through Tahoe campground, How to get tickets for Depeche Mode's new tour dates. 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. As per the United States District Courts affidavit for the District, he was arrested for violating the law, entering the restricted building without lawful authority. How about that? Griffin said in the video. 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. All rights reserved. When asked whether he and Griffin had decided it would be "inappropriate" to enter the Capitol building, Struck replied, "I don't think we discussed that.". Couy Griffin, a 48-year-old Republican elected official from Alamogordo, N.M., and founder of a pro-Donald Trump grass-roots group, had challenged U.S. prosecutors to prove Pences whereabouts as he defends himself from misdemeanor counts of trespassing and disorderly conduct on grounds restricted from the public because of the presence of a Secret Service protectee. Plenty of history very bad history was made on Jan. 6, 2021. "Several of the defendant's statements in the recording of the meeting constitute either direct admissions that he was illegally present in a restricted area or evidence of the defendant's state of mind during and after January 6, 2021," prosecutors said. This is America, we play the National Anthem in America today.. Cowboys for Trump . We had unknown individuals who were breaking through a security barrier, a site where we had protectees. Read our editorial standards. Search warrants filed by the AGs Office earlier this month show the office is searching GoFundMe accounts associated with Cowboys for Trump, Griffin and Casey Conlee established since Jan. 20, 2019. Last week, Griffin faced criticism after he posted a Facebook live video where he said some Black NFL players should go back to Africa if they wanted to stand for Lift Evry Voice and Sing traditionally known as the Black national anthem as a gesture of solidarity against racial injustice. The sheer number of members of Congress who voted both against certifying the election and, later, to convict Donald Trump at his impeachment trial had few if any historical parallels. They include GOP gubernatorial nominees Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania and Dan Cox in Maryland, who both organized buses for the Stop the Steal rally. 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. 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. He also said that, if appealed, it could give the Supreme Court an opportunity to weigh in on this question without directly deciding on a case involving Trump. What now? Dozens of Democrat elected officials decided to pass on president Joe Biden's speech in Maryland, opting instead to attend a tribute concert. Prosecutors have said that Pence remained at the Capitol complex during the relevant period. Advocates for that approach now have a victory under their belts, though. The group said this week seek arbitration in a fight with the New Mexico Secretary of State over fines and required reports. Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin confronted a trial by jury Tuesday on charges that he failed to register a political organization without filing related public financial disclosures. When McFadden posed a boilerplate question about whether Griffin had taken drugs or alcohol the accused Capitol rioter said he'd had a couple beers the night before. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Indeed, in allowing Greene to remain in office, a judge had emphasized there was no evidence to show that Rep. Greene participated in the Invasion itself or communicated with or issued directives to persons who engaged in the Invasion. Griffin was much easier to tie directly to the insurrection, and he has now been found to have directly engaged in it. 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. Harrowing video has emerged of a racially charged incident that rocked an elementary school in Springfield, Ohio. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Indeed, Griffin has been that talk of the town since the news of his arrest swirled in the media. Griffin elected to have a bench trial, meaning a Trump-appointed judge rather than a jury of 12 will review the evidence and decide his fate. Begging for donations for the trip, for legal fees, for tires, new wipers, food, etc. It states his conduct resultedin his banishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation, that he used county resources for non-commission reasons namely forGriffin's political advocacy companyCowboys for Trump, filing an improper travel voucher and violating the Gift Act when he received approximately $3,500 from a restricted donor to pay back the travel reimbursement from the travel voucher. "On the decision, I am obviously very pleased," Sanchez said. Griffin, who was convicted of a federal misdemeanor in March for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol . For years, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has been Donald Trump's most flamboyant supporter in New Mexico, creating spectacles and controversy in equal measure. As a reminder, Chair of the Otero County GOP is an Official office within the party. A copy of the check was included in the warrant packet. Griffin was convicted in federal court of a misdemeanor for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 without going inside the building. You want to say that was violence? 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. The decision interrupts a string of adverse legal decisions for Griffin, who remains barred from elected office under a judges decision upheld by the New Mexico Supreme Court in February. The Otero County commissioner is facing charges for his alleged role in the January insurrection at the. General Flynn is suing the federal government for $50 million. (Berger was later seated after his espionage conviction was overturned.). Do any of her businesses contract with the county? Also worth weighing here, Hemel noted, is whether disqualification is an appropriate remedy. And Im damn sure no quitter!!". Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. 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. Biden enlists potential rivals as advisers ahead of 2024, Their toddler took a nap in an Airbnb and fentanyl killed her, removed Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin, to disqualify Socialist Rep. Victor Berger in 1919, sought to disqualify several members of Congress. Last year, he became the first elected official to be banished from elected office in connection with the Capitol incursion. Their son was born in 2014. Once the recall is allowed to begin, the recall petition is taken to Otero County District 2 voters and if 1,661 verified signatures are gathered, then a recall election takes place. If we quit we lose. 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. All Rights Reserved. Since Jan. 6, activists have sought to disqualify several members of Congress who supported questioning or overturning the 2020 election results, including Reps. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.) They claimed Griffin was a politician in his own right who clearly advocated for Trump while the president was a candidate for re-election and that Griffin also promoted political positions on border enforcement, gun rights and more. Only the March 11 complaint was heard in the April 8 recall hearing. You havent shown he [Pence] ever left the restricted area, the judge told Griffins defense attorney, Nicholas D. Smith. Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in Otero County, New Mexico, speaks on June 17 outside federal court in Washington, D.C., where he was convicted of entering a restricted area during the. Ivey-Soto requested that the stamp on the facepage of the petition not be affixed until the sixth day following the April 8 hearing unless Griffin files the appeal. The disqualification of Berger, for instance, was later widely regarded as overreach. 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. He is also awaiting trialon charges ofknowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authorityfor his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. 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. The dismissed charge against Griffin carried a potential punishment of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. Sanchez presented the allegations to Arrieta even after Griffin left the hearing. Couy Griffins career background is not sufficiently transparent as his bio cannot be found on Wikipedia. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider They have a Son Together was born in 2014. But this is also a man who beat a "Mom and Pop business" that has 5 kids out of thousands of dollars. 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.. Here are 13 more things about Couy: Griffin has not been criminally charged in reference to the September 2019 travel voucher. In August 2019, Griffin went to Washington, D.C., for a conference. Griffin also met with then-President Donald Trump on Sept. 12, 2019. The extra trip to New York City exceeds the scope of the authorized travel, court records state. As perABQ Journal, he was married toKourtnie. Couy Griffin poses with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on September 12, 2019. But this is also a man who beat a Mom and Pop business that has 5 kids out of thousands of dollars. After the fall of Roe, the pro-life movement is facing a battle of unprecedented complexity and staggering scope. If you dont believe me, ask all those who thought Dennis Rader was such a nice guy. 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 invoked free speech protections in declining to register and disclose donors to Cowboys for Trump, while expressing concern that financial contributors might be harassed. 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.. Prior arrests for drunk driving and more on the Backwoods Tees case. Griffin has claimed his prosecution is politically motivated, arguing that unlike the vast majority of more than 750 people charged, he is not accused of assaulting police, damaging property or even entering the Capitol. You also agree to our, The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. 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,. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. A Donald Trump supporter, Griffin founded Cowboys for Trump and listed his sister Kay Griffin as its organizer. 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. 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. In my next musing I will explore Couys court records more thoroughly. On Sept. 23, 2019, Griffin submitted a travel voucher for $3,237, which included straight per-diem, meaning he did not submit receipts for the trip. In 2019, Griffin forged a group of rodeo acquaintances into the promotional group called Cowboys for Trump, which staged horseback parades to spread President Donald Trumps conservative message about gun rights, immigration controls and abortion restrictions. New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is a Democrat who has called Trump the election denier-in-chief.. RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) The leader of the New Mexico group Cowboys for Trump has been barred from in-person visits with his son following social media posts that have generated threats and for refusing to abide by COVID-19 mask requirements, a state district judge ruled. 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. Griffin's attorney also accused state campaign finance regulators of bias and singling out Cowboys for Trump for enforcement. No Maam, Griffin said in a video recorded Jan. 7 cited in government filings. While Griffin was present at the hearing, he was able to answer to the allegations against him and rebut Committee To Recall CouyGriffin President Paul Sanchez. City of Albuquerque goes to court to shut down City says the property puts the community at risk, but owner says it's unfair to blame businesses for Albuquerque crime and homelessness, Albuquerque Police: Man shoots self, unintentionally kills woman. He was also pastor at New Heart Church in . In a Jan. 14, 2021, county commission meeting, Griffin said that he knew Mike Pence had certified a fraudulent election before he walked toward the Capitol grounds, and that he was part of a crowd that just pushed through plastic mesh fencing securing the inauguration area, albeit toward the back. Deputies arrest man in attempted robbery that led to Bernalillo County deputies arrested a man Bernalillo County deputies arrested a man in an armed robbery-turned-gunfight that left his alleged accomplice dead last year in Southwest Albuquerque. In response to the allegations, Griffin said in the April 7 email that "As far as Im concerned I will stand on the same principle Ive stated over and over. But at the end of the day, you mark my word, we will plant our flag on the desk of [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer and Donald Trump if it boils down to it., The bizarre voter-fraud hunt in a New Mexico county Trump won by 25 points. Here you have Couy Griffin as Cowboys For Trump not only hiding assets from his ex-wife and son. 10h. On Monday, federal prosecutors displayed video footage in McFadden's courtroom showing Griffin climbing a makeshift ramp as he approached the Capitol.