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. 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 . Theyve got to resolve the question of Trumps eligibility as soon as possible. Praying for 12 jurors to say in unison "NOT GUILTY"!!. 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. The Cowboys for Trump website was not operational Feb. 13. Federal judge reverses detention order for N.M. county commissioner facing trial in Jan. 6 riot. ", Get caught up:Otero Commissioners to discuss calls for resignation of Couy Griffin on Thursday. In each of these cases, Griffin has associated criminality with his organization, Cowboys for Trump. 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. So, we are still unknown about his actual net worth and earnings he receives from his job. "To mount a meaningful defense Griffin must be allowed to test the veracity of the Government's contention that Vice President Pence was on the Capitol grounds during the relevant period," McFadden ruled. 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. Mr Griffin, a county official in Otero County, New Mexico, added that the aftermath of the election had added to difficulties with relatives and his divorced wife. I dont know but I will find out. 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. maybe thats the Freudian Slip Couy made when setting up @Baredown C4T FB page, well at least thats better than sister), will tout how Couy, C4T and the GOP are protecting the Constitution. 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. In my next musing I will explore Couys court records more thoroughly. 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. All Rights Reserved. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Sign up for our free Daily Headlines newsletter Your . 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. "Recall is intended to be difficult and it is intended to be a very serious matter,"Ivey-Soto said. Judge Trevor McFadden served as a top Justice Department official in the Trump administration before the Senate confirmed him in 2017 to the federal trial court in Washington, DC. The decision interrupts a string of adverse legal decisions for Griffin, who remains barred from elected office under a judge's decision upheld by the New Mexico Supreme Court in February. Here you have Couy Griffin as Cowboys For Trump not only hiding assets from his ex-wife and son. The board ultimately certified the election on a 2-1 vote with Griffin casting the lone no vote. Griffin is also under investigation by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office for potential criminal charges relating to the September 2019 travel voucher issue. 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. 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. "We are disappointed that Commissioner Griffin was not able to be here for the entire process. 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'millionsofcelebs_com-box-4','ezslot_4',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-millionsofcelebs_com-box-4-0');Is Couy Griffin married? I dont think the government is entitled to some Secret Service exception or sensitive information exception from proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, McFadden reiterated Monday before Hawa took the witness stand. Ahead of the trial, McFadden rejected Griffin's claim that he was politically targeted. However, the go Representatives from the Otero County Clerk's Office were at the hearing, including attorney Daniel Ivey-Soto who was appearing on behalf of the County Clerk' Office. But only certain parts of the Constitution and only some of the time. FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. 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. 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. Here are 13 more things about Couy: 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. Griffin appeared at the hearing telephonically. 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. FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. Evans resigned shortly after the insurrection and before he was charged, but he has flirted with an attempted political comeback. Lets not forget that free food from ranchers too. Couy is the professional Otero County Commissioner who made headlines in the news after FBI agents arrested him on Sunday on 17 January 2021. Who is Couy Griffin? Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. Couy isAmericanby nationality as he is a native of New Mexico. 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. A jury will consider this week whether the support group Cowboys for Trump and cofounder Couy Griffin violated state election law by failing to register as a political organization without filing related public financial disclosures. Only the March 11 complaint was heard in the April 8 recall hearing. 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. 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. In the cross-examination of Struck, a defense lawyer for Griffin used his questioning to underscore that the "Cowboys for Trump" co-founder was not violent on January 6 and did not enter the Capitol building itself. But this is also a man who beat a "Mom and Pop business" that has 5 kids out of thousands of dollars. All Rights Reserved. I mean my goodness why on earth would you leave town with bald tires and faulty windshield wipers? 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. . Griffin has not been criminally charged in reference to the September 2019 travel voucher. 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. It would be helpful if they would take this opportunity to rule really for the first time what Section 3 means.. Griffin, the Cowboys for Trump founder and an Otero County commissioner, was arrested in Washington on Jan. 17, 2021, after allegedly posting a video on Facebook of himself on the inauguration stage next to the Capitol within the barricaded perimeter of its grounds during the Jan. 6 siege. Professionally, Kourtnie is an Iraqi war veteran. All rights reserved. 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. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter. "I would rather these allegation brought forward be heard from a group of peers rather than a (former Gov. Griffin, who was convicted of a federal misdemeanor in March for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol . (Berger was later seated after his espionage conviction was overturned.). As per edailybuzz, Couy Griffin is married to his wife, Kourtnie A Gates. 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. It is unclear when McFadden will hand down his verdict. 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. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Couy's ex-wife, Kourtnie, is a 34 years old Iraqi war veteran who was born in the year 1986. Stay up to date with what you want to know. . What the hell are the donations for exactly? ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (KRQE) -Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump leader Couy Griffin is proposing to fully reopen his county, breaking the state's public health order. Couy Griffin Career Griffin was found taking active participation in the 2021 US Capitol riots and was arrested for the same on 8th January 2021. This is America, we play the National Anthem in America today.. 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. 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. Supporters of President Donald Trump broke into the building, forcing the evacuation of Congress and Pence as they met to certify the electoral college results. Plenty of history very bad history was made on Jan. 6, 2021. He shouldnt be punished for showing his pride in his country, Miller said. "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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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?. So it becomes a security issue when they [rioters] were surrounding a secure site and potentially taking away options for our routes out, said Hawa, who is a veteran of the force for 23 years and served as the Pence security details liaison for his trip to the Capitol. The hearing was held in the old Otero County Commission Chambers in the Otero County Courthouse across the street from the Otero County Administration Building. The C4T GoFundMe page states that all monies given will be a direct donation to founder Couy Griffin and will be used as Couy sees fit to move the organization forward, according to records. Series of issues initiates Couy Griffin recall effort. I will not be intimidated, I will not be threatened, and I sure as Hell wont back down!! Couy Griffin poses with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on September 12, 2019. By Ewan Palmer On 10/25/21 at 11:33 AM EDT. 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. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Nicole Maxwell / Alamogordo Daily News Prosecutors later acknowledged that Harris had in fact left the vicinity beforehand and cleaned up their error in charging and other documents. For the first time since the War of 1812, the U.S. Capitol was breached. Griffin never complied with the agreement. 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.) 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. The extent of his criminal activity is the subject of this investigation.. the judge asked. And a judge acquitted him of disorderly conduct. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Prosecutors have said that Pence remained at the Capitol complex during the relevant period. A copy of the check was included in the warrant packet. On the witness stand, Struck said he used to post videos on his Twitter account "before it was shut down.". Griffin was convicted in federal court of a misdemeanor for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 without going inside the building. Wednesday's emergency proclamation in the counties of Amador, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma and Tulare will . Read our editorial standards. Who is Couy Griffin? 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. Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin, who is facing charges in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot, has turned on the former president in a conference speech for abandoning January 6. If convicted, Griffin faces up to a year in prison on each of the two charges against him: trespassing and disorderly conduct on restricted Capitol grounds. Dewey is from Windom, Minnesota . News, Politics, Culture, and more in realtime. Mr. (Griffin) chose not to take it. 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. It seems like Couy prefers to keep details about his family a secret. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. 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. With Struck on the stand, prosecutors played one video in which Griffin recounted members of the pro-Trump mob spilling over barriers outside the Capitol. New evidence was released in the case against Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin. The motion said Couy Griffin "has publicly expressed views and opinions which have incited threats of violence" to his ex-wife and son. Effort to bar Jan. 6 figures from office notches historic win. Harrowing video has emerged of a racially charged incident that rocked an elementary school in Springfield, Ohio. He shouldn't be punished for showing his pride in his country, Miller said. Police say a man shot himself and unintentionally killed a woman when the bullet passed through his head and struck her last month at Middle school students killer to remain in custody until Juan Saucedo Jr., 14, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and was sentenced to remain in custody until age 21 in the 2021 shooting Albuquerque Police data: Use-of-force policies followed 95% of the Albuquerque superintendent of police reform hails Albuquerque superintendent of police reform hails results as "success" in Court Approved Settlement Agreement compliance. Another state lawmaker, then-West Virginia state Del. We proceeded and the judge found for us.". A Donald Trump supporter, Griffin founded Cowboys for Trump and listed his sister Kay Griffin as its organizer. Copyright 2020 Millions of Celebs. 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. Sign up for notifications from Insider! The judge said Griffins many defenses were not credible, and nor was his summary of his role on Jan. Cowboys for Trump also had a GoFundMe account set up in January 2020 to raise money for legal expenses. 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 . 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. Indeed, Griffin has been that talk of the town since the news of his arrest swirled in the media. Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin is being investigated by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office on grounds he violated the Campaign Reporting Act and the. 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 two-and-a-half years before the attack, according to an Associated Press tally. The ruling comes after lawyers for Griffins ex-wife, Kourtnie, filed an emergency motion in May to modify their custody and visitation agreement. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul. You also agree to our, The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Aug. 14Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin will face off in court Monday against three New Mexicans who argue in a lawsuit that he should be removed from his post as an Otero County commissioner for participating in an insurrection against the United States. A Senate Judiciary Committee report stated that Mastriano and his wife took part in the January 6 insurrection, with video footage confirming that they passed through breached barricades and police lines at the U.S. Capitol. (Mastriano has said he never entered the Capitol itself, and he has been charged with no crimes.). At the same time, Griffins conviction was for misdemeanor trespassing, for which he was sentenced to 14 days and a $3,000 fine. 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. 10h. The disqualification of Berger, for instance, was later widely regarded as overreach. 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. 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 . The Washington Post has reported that at least 163 Republicans who have embraced Trumps false claims are running for statewide positions that would give them authority over the administration of elections. 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. 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. The judge said the jury has till 10 tonight to come to a verdict or it will be called a mistrial. Griffin deniedthe allegations claiming they were"frivolous and devoid of merit," court records state. 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. After the fall of Roe, the pro-life movement is facing a battle of unprecedented complexity and staggering scope. 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. What now? You know, and if we do, then its going to be a sad day, because theres going to be blood running out of that building. Prosecutors rested their case after Hawas testimony, but McFadden called her to return Tuesday morning. Here is the entire draft filing he's going to hit them with. General Flynn is suing the federal government for $50 million. But she did not take her minor child to war with her as Couy Griffin is doing by taking their son to President Donald Trump campaign events during a pandemic, the attorneys said. 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. That's what Otero County's District 2 Commissioner Couy Griffin alleged at a May 17 gathering in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. 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. 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. (Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP), Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. In August 2019, Griffin went to Washington, D.C., for a conference. Griffins attorney also said state campaign finance regulators were biased and singled out Cowboys for Trump for enforcement. Griffin ignores the fact that his position as an elected official puts him in a different and nonprotected category from other rioters, McFadden said. Griffin never complied with the agreement. I use very sharp words, dripping with sarcasm but in person, I would do anything for anyone regardless of their politics. With all those donations Couy takes in you would think he would want to pay for the items his sheep give him. 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 incursion on Jan. 6, 2021. 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.

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