couy griffin military service

He told Griffin, Youre not being sentenced for your beliefs about voting fraud and took aim at those advancing similar claims about fraud nationally. A New Mexico judge on Tuesday removed Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin by invoking the 14th Amendment's prohibition on those who engaged in insurrection from serving in office. The 2024 presidential race begins: Will it be a repeat of 2020? They started chanting, Pray for Trump, Struck replied. Griffin is thinking about running for Catron County sheriff. Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge Griffins attorneys said in a court filing that Pence had already departed the restricted area before the earliest that Griffin could have entered it, but Secret Service inspector Lanelle Hawa testified that Pence never left the restricted area during the riot. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Around that time, Mr. Griffin also took part in an attempt by the Otero County commission to reject certification of a recent local election until voting machines in the county were inspected. Federal prosecutors have offered Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin a plea agreement over charges that he . In an hourlong hearing, McFadden sentenced Griffin to 14 days in prison but credited him for 20 days the Cowboys for Trump founder had served while awaiting trial. Mar 21, 2022, 9:53 AM Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Santa Fe, N.M., as hundreds of advocates for gun rights rallied at the New Mexico Statehouse. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Its the first time a U.S. president has sought to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power. 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, guilty of . Inside the siege: During the rampage, rioters came perilously close to penetrating the inner sanctums of the building while lawmakers were still there, including former vice president Mike Pence. In the same video, Griffin remarked that if pro-Trump rioters were to hold a "2nd Amendment rally on those same steps" it would be "a sad day" because "there's gonna be blood running out of that building. Judge calls Jan. 6 an 'insurrection,' bars 'Cowboys for Trump - CNBC Prosecutors didnt give any opening statements. The secretary of states office 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. agent who had instigated the mob that day. Couy Griffin guilty of misdemeanor trespassing on restricted Capitol Mr. Thats hugely significant. Handing down the sentence, McFadden called the January 6 attack on the Capitol a "national embarrassment" and a "dark day" for Washington, DC, and the country. 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.". Reffitts conviction on all charges could give prosecutors more leverage in negotiating plea deals in many other cases or discourage other defendants from going to trial. In court testimony, State Elections Director Mandy Vigil said that state regulators typically negotiate with political groups to encourage registration without seeking sanctions. It looks like theyve been calm and theyre listening to Couy., In a court filing, prosecutors called Griffin an inflammatory provocateur and fabulist who engages in racist invective and propounds baseless conspiracy theories, including that Communist China stole the 2020 Presidential Election.. Advocates for that approach now have a victory under their belts, though. 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. 'Cowboys for Trump' founder Couy Griffin sentenced in Jan. 6 case Brent Stirton/Getty. I dont think justice was served, Griffin said of his case in a radio interview earlier this month. Contacted Monday, Griffin expressed concern that registering Cowboys for Trump as a political group could lead to reprisals against donors. Some have sought to wield that seldom-invoked provision against members of Congress, without success, and even floated using it against Trump. But the jury wasn't persuaded. Success in the latter scenario remains unlikely, especially in the absence of a criminal conviction. He is among only three riot defendants who have asked for a bench trial, which means a judge will decide his case without a . Mr. Griffins attempts to challenge Mr. Trumps defeat in the 2020 election including issuing calls for violence on behalf of the former president preceded the events of Jan. 6, according to the ruling by the judge in New Mexico. , Southern Poverty Law Center 'hate' list suffers legal setback, Secret Service blocks Muslim mayor from White House Eid-al-Fitr celebration, Ryan Webb, Delaware County, Indiana, councilman, mocks left by coming out as lesbian woman of color, Seven bodies found in Henryetta, Oklahoma, during search for two missing teens, U.S. government destroying the dollars value through inflation, Bidens idea of freedom should frighten every liberty-loving American. 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. 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." Trump cowboy Couy Griffin found not guilty of. Matt Dahlseid/Santa Fe New Mexican, via Associated Press. Miller, a public defender, said Griffin's 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. His advisory sentencing guideline range for the misdemeanor conviction was zero to six months. Cooper then threw to a clip of an interview the correspondent had with Couy Griffin, who said he doubted whether Ashli Babbitt and U.S. Capitol police officer, Brian Sicknick had even died as a result of the riots. Struck received immunity for his testimony. Couy Griffin - Wikipedia After already serving 20 days in jail, Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin avoided additional prison time Friday as he was sentenced for his participation in the pro-Trump mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 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. 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. Military Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin sentenced for trespassing The New Mexico county commissioner said he merely went to the Capitol to pray with protesters By Tom Jackman and. ", "Others like himI don't believe Cuoy would be dangerousbut others like him can and will be dangerous.". WASHINGTON A judge in New Mexico on Tuesday ordered a county commissioner convicted of participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol removed from office under the 14th Amendment, making him the first public official in more than a century to be barred from serving under a constitutional ban on insurrectionists holding office. 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. Mark Andrew Mazza, 57, of Shelbyville, Ind., faces up to 20 years in prison for assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon and up to five years for carrying a pistol without a license. GOP commission refuses to certify New Mexico primary vote A January 6-related trial began Monday in the case of "Cowboys for Trump" founder Couy Griffin. SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Trump Ramps up Attacks on DeSantis: 'Dropping Like a Rock', Russian Strikes on Pavlohrad Aim to Hamper Ukraine's Counteroffensive, Greg Abbott Criticized for Response to Texas Shooting: 'A New Low', Democrat Sold First Republic Stock, Bought JP Morgan Before Collapse, Conservative Influencers Struggle With Countering Biden's Messaging. 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. After being jailed in connection with the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Otero County Commission Vice Chairman Couy Griffin was back in attendance at the Feb. 11 Otero . There, Mr. Griffin spent more than an hour addressing the mob, at times speaking through a bullhorn. Trumps attack on democracy after the November 2020 election started out as an attempt to use the judicial process to deprive voters of their choice of leader. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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. Mr. A judge in New Mexico declared Tuesday that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was an "insurrection" as he ruled that Otero County Commissioner and "Cowboys for Trump" founder Couy Griffin must be . Griffin never complied with the agreement. After he was sentenced, Mr. Griffin urged reporters to examine a series of debunked conspiracy theories about Jan. 6, including one about an Arizona man who was falsely pegged as an undercover F.B.I. AP. Cuoy Griffin, a 1/6 suspect, says he doubts two of the fatalities caused by the insurrection. according to the Congressional Research Service, challenge to the candidacy of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, an Arizona man who was falsely pegged as an undercover F.B.I. 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. 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.). "I'm not even so sure that Officer Sicknick's even dead," Cuoy Griffin said, stunning the CNN correspondent. While Griffin says he did not knowingly trespass, news outlet KVIA showed images this week of Griffin scaling a metal barricade to get to the inauguration platform. His comments come as conspiracy theories continue to swirl about the events of January 6, including one that the the FBI was involved in plotting the attack after infiltrating far-right groups. The strikes left 34 people injured, including three children, and caused widespread damage. Wearing his signature black cowboy hat, "Cowboys for Trump" founder Couy Griffin arrived Monday at a federal courthouse just blocks from the Capitol to stand trial on charges stemming from his alleged participation in the January 6, 2021, insurrection. By Aila Slisco On 8/9/21 at 9:46 PM EDT. 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. The day-long trial is also expected to feature video footage of the January 14, 2021 meeting of the Otero County commissioners, where Griffin addressed his involvement in the Capitol attack. Griffin responded afterward that he felt he was upholding his oath to make sure that our elections are transparent and legal and that he traveled to Washington to stand and peaceably protest and represent millions of other Americans that feel the same way that I do.. News Capitol Riots Donald Trump Republicans. Why Gov. Ahead of the trial, McFadden rejected Griffin's claim that he was politically targeted. COVID report finds suicide calls, overdose deaths and mental illness soared in D.C. But the judge said very few people who didnt enter the Capitol on Jan. 6 were charged, and sentenced Griffin to 14 days in jail and a $3,000 fine. The dismissed charge against Griffin carried a potential punishment of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. It would be helpful if they would take this opportunity to rule really for the first time what Section 3 means.. Couy Griffin serves as District 2 Otero County Commissioner and Otero County Commission Vice Chairman in New Mexico, according to the Alamogordo Daily News. Couy Griffin on Trial: A Tale of Two Realities Big Tech news and how to take control of your data and devices, Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin sentenced for trespassing, What the Jan. 6 probe found out about social media, but didnt report, Social Security numbers of Trump officials, allies posted in Jan. 6 files, Jan. 6 report recommends Congress ban Trump from running again, To become an Amazon Clinic patient, first you sign away some privacy, How Mark Zuckerberg broke Metas workforce, Elon Musk describes Starship flight as roughly what I expected, Jan. 6 committee released its final report, analysis about the committees new findings and conclusions, On Jan. 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, close to penetrating the inner sanctums of the building. the judge asked. Griffin's defense lawyers plan to argue that, because Pence was rushed away amid the mayhem of January 6, the Capitol grounds were no longer a restricted, Secret Service-protected area by the time he was there. "Pretty soon, it was like a huge, amazing Trump rally," Griffin said. Until Tuesday, none had succeeded. He also suggested that a new civil war could erupt over the wearing of masks and pushed conspiracy theories that claim Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and rioter Ashli Babbit may not have died during the riot. Struck testified that he and Griffin went to the Capitol to find a place to pray. But Griffin has resisted pressure to register the group as a political committee, including filing an unsuccessful petition to the 10th District Court of Appeals. A key question in Griffins case is whether he entered a restricted area while Pence was still present on Capitol grounds, a prerequisite for the U.S. Secret Service to invoke access restrictions. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Gun rights group, store ask Supreme Court to block city's ban on assault weapons, White House says GOP's debt limit bill would nix 2K border patrol agents, 81K VA health jobs, Russia missile attack on Ukraine injures 25, damages homes, Federal suit demands 'Radical Catholics' doc from FBI, Justice Department, Report: FAA overruled engineers, let Boeing Max keep flying. The ruling declared the Jan. 6 assault an insurrection and ordered Mr. Griffin removed from office. McFadden said the "vast majority" of Capitol rioters who remained outside the building were "not charged at all," and he suggested that Griffin only faced prosecution if he hadn't "gone to such lengths to publicize his actions.". The Washington Post examined text messages, photos and videos to create a video timeline of what happened on Jan. 6. In addition to objecting to being tested, Griffin has also been vocal proponent of ignoring medical advice calling for COVID-19 vaccinations or the wearing of masks amid the pandemic. Magliocca said the issue could arise in a number of ways moving forward and is ripe for the Supreme Court to litigate before Trump might run for and potentially win the presidency in 2024. Feb 24 Who is the guy in the blue jacket? Cowboys for Trump founder returns to Otero County Commission The evidence will show that the government selected Griffin for prosecution based on the fact that he gave a speech and led a prayer at the Capitol, that is, selected him based on protected expression, they wrote. After climbing over a stone wall and entering a restricted area outside the Capitol, Griffin said, This is our house we should all be armed, according to prosecutors. Evidence at his trial showed that Griffin and his videographer climbed over various barricades and barriers, then clambered onto the inauguration stage in front of the Capitol and spent over an hour speaking through a bullhorn to the surging mob. 'Cowboys for Trump' Leader Arrested After Pledging to Bring - Insider The riot: On Jan. 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election results. The confidential agreement was offered to Griffin during discussions at a Monday court hearing in Washington, D.C., according to the Associated Press. But McFadden noted that Griffin had not entered the Capitol building itself but only trespassed on the grounds outside the building, putting him at what the judge called the "minimal end of criminality.". He was arrested on January 17 and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. Griffin's lawyers say that unlike the other protesters, he did not enter the Capitol, but instead stood on the steps of the building urging on others with a bullhorn, Buzzfeed News reported. An online fundraiser for Griffin has also raised nearly $50,000. 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 Pence's whereabouts. 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. "I'm serious," he continued, "That's, that's how and I hate to be so crazy conspiracy-minded. One was presented by a team of lawyers who showed video clips of Jan. 6, 2021, used testimony from a number of witnesses, and played Griffin's on-the-record statements before and after the event. Mike Pence's whereabouts on Jan. 6 confirmed during trial of Couy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. At the same time, Griffins conviction was for misdemeanor trespassing, for which he was sentenced to 14 days and a $3,000 fine. After being convicted at trial, many defendants wait quietly for their sentencing. Unlike that trial, which featured felony charges, Griffin was accused only of misdemeanor offenses. Derrick Evans, was sentenced to three months in jail this summer for committing civil disorder on Jan. 6. The trial forced prosecutors to disclose the location of vice president Mike Pence during the riot, over Secret Service objections, to prove that Griffin had entered a restricted area, though he did not enter the Capitol itself. The sentencing effectively ruled out any further prison time for Griffin barring a violation of his probation in connection with his involvement in the January 6 attack. Prosecutors called Matthew Struck, who traveled with Griffin to Washington, DC, and recorded videos of him on January 6. Griffin added. "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. "You're probably your own worst enemy here," McFadden said. The ruling declared the Capitol assault an insurrection and unseated Couy Griffin, a commissioner in New Mexicos Otero County and the founder of Cowboys for Trump, who was convicted earlier this year of trespassing when he breached barricades outside the Capitol during the attack. Prosecutors also pointed to more recent social media posts and statements in which Griffin appeared to mock his March guilty verdict and display a lack of contrition for the Capitol attack, underscoring how January 6 defendants have talked themselves into deeper trouble amid their criminal proceedings. The judge in the case, District Judge Francis J. Mathew, was unsparing in ruling that Griffin is disqualified from office. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Anyone can read what you share. He vowed to return to the Capitol for President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on January 20, later promising to bring guns to "embrace my Second Amendment." According to a court document, Griffin tweeted after the trial that the media has tried to make me look like the biggest loser the last couple days. McFadden told Griffin that as an elected state official, he had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution. Hawa said agents took Pence from his office at the Capitol to a secure location at an underground loading dock on the Capitol complex. The secretary of states 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. He acknowledged that Griffin was not criminally convicted of insurrection and there is no evidence that Griffin engaged in violence himself. Back in the studio, Drew Griffin said that Cuoy Griffin was "so far off the rails" with his belief in the conspiracy theories, that "I would dare to use the loaded term, he is brain-washed. 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. Griffin has made a series of controversial statements calling for violence against his political opponents. 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. 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I love the smell of napalm in the air, Griffin said in an apparent reference to a line by Robert Duvalls character in the war movie Apocalypse Now.. as well as other partner offers and accept our. WASHINGTON An elected official from New Mexico went to trial with a judge not a jury set to decide if he is guilty of charges that he illegally entered the U.S. Capitol grounds on the daya pro-Trump mobdisrupted the certification of Joe Bidens presidential election victory. Federal prosecutors had pointed out that the secretary of state in New Mexico has asked for a criminal investigation into Griffins actions in refusing to certify the primary election there. 6.). Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin arrives at the Federal Court House in Washington, Monday, March 21, 2022. Griffin arrived in a cowboy hat, and the trial featured video footage of him on the Capitol grounds. After attendingthen-President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal rally on 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 forBidens inauguration, according to prosecutors. McFadden is so far the only judge on the Washington, DC, federal trial court who has acquitted a January 6 defendant on all charges. Last year, Griffin insisted that "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat" and called on Trump to "hang" his opponents for their "Treasonous Acts." Griffin, a county commissioner in New Mexico, is the second accused participant in the Capitol attack to go to trial on January 6-related charges. Reconstruction-era federal prosecutors brought civil actions in court to oust officials linked to the Confederacy, and Congress in some cases refused to seat members, according to the Congressional Research Service. He also took part in a multicity bus tour arranged by the pro-Trump group Women for America First designed to recruit protesters to go to Washington for Mr. Trumps speech on Jan. 6, in which the president called on his supporters to fight like hell against his election loss and urged them to march to the Capitol while Congress was meeting to confirm it. Griffin has been investigated by the state for corruption and is currently facing a recall effort, with around one-third of the required recall petition signatures having been gathered as of last week. A judge said Couy Griffin's stated remorse for January 6 conflicted with incendiary public comments. Griffin's attorney also accused state campaign finance regulators of bias and singling out Cowboys for Trump for enforcement. Griffin is pictured riding a horse on Sixth Avenue in New York City on May 1, 2020. The dismissed charge against Griffin carried a potential punishment of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. At the outset of the bench trial, McFadden confirmed that Griffin wanted his verdict decided by a judge rather than a jury. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The difference is they didnt then decide to storm the Capitol building.. Stay up to date with what you want to know. More: Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin questions Capitol . Heres what the criminal referrals mean. (Berger was later seated after his espionage conviction was overturned.). Cowboys for Trump Founder Offered Plea Deal in Capitol Riot Case He posted a video of himself to the Cowboys for Trump Facebook page on the following day, bragging that he had "climbed up on the top of the Capitol building" and had a "front row seat" to the riot. The board ultimately certified the election on a 2-1 vote with Griffin still voting no based on a gut feeling., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Struck responded "no" as the lawyer asked whether Griffin had destroyed anything, confronted law enforcement, or taken any action that would put someone in fear. It is unclear when McFadden will hand down his verdict. Couy Griffin (@CowboyCouy) / Twitter Griffin is charged with illegally entering Capitol grounds the day a pro-Trump mob disrupted certification of Joe Biden's presidential election victory on Jan. 6, 2021. But he found that Griffins actions met the standard set forth by the 14th Amendment, citing Griffins violent rhetoric and evidence of his actions at the Capitol. February 28, 2023, 1:31 PM SANTA FE, N.M. -- 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. (Griffin is the founder of a group called Cowboys for Trump, which has been promoted by the former president. I dont want the state of New Mexico to know who has supported Cowboys for Trump. Cuoy Griffin, a 1/6 suspect, says he doubts two of the fatalities caused by the insurrection. But the last time the section of the amendment was enforced was in 1919, when Congress refused to seat a socialist member who was accused of giving aid and comfort to Germany during World War I. His lawyer, David Smith, requested two months probation. 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.

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