1:07. Defiance of federal government and its oversight of public lands are staples of politics in Otero County, which spans an area three times the size of Delaware, from the dunes of White Sands National Park to the peaks of the Lincoln National Forest. Later, he served as the vice chair for legal affairs of the states Libertarian party. The attorney general also received numerous citizen complaints about Griffin. And I pray to see you on February 28th at the Otero County Courthouse in Alamogordo N.M.Much love in Christ,Couy, According to case documents Griffin launched a GoFundMe account for Cowboys For Trump but used the funds for personal expenses, including court-ordered child support, used public funds to advance C4T and has taken official acts for personal gain.. Trump cowboy seeks 2nd act in politics after U.S. Capitol breach Couy Griffin Wiki Bio: Wife, Married, Age, Son, Net Worth, Family In fact, in Otero County he said they plan to conduct an election audit, looking for fraud. "And he kind of laughed and said no. Otero County commissioners in July rejected Griffins request for taxpayer-funded legal representation in the lawsuit. As per edailybuzz, Couy Griffin is married to his wife, Kourtnie A Gates. Ah cheer up, Chris - maybe the governor's State Police troopers can catch Couy doing an illegal lane change! Asked for comment, Erin Clements sent a video of Democratic lawmakers raising concerns about election security. Theyre going find out he didnt have anything to do with these types of things, he said. His words had an impact: In June, officials in three New Mexico counties where he made his case either delayed or voted against certification of this years primary results, even though there was no credible evidence of problems with the vote. CPAC 2023 - live: DeSantis skips four-day event as Trump and key GOP You think that the governor hates me as a county commissioner put a gun and a badge on me, and well see.. Hes also been suspended from Facebook and banished from Native American lands in his district as he contests charges of breaking into the Capitol grounds and disrupting Congress that could carry a one-year sentence. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The folksy origin story might have helped his successful 2018 run for county commissioner but once in office Griffin amplified violence and bigotry. Griffin said he is confident the judge will dismiss the lawsuit. Griffin lost that case but still appears to have failed to follow the court order. Griffin has acknowledged using the county building for promotional videos but said he never claimed they were affiliated with Otero County. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said dozens of people have complained about volunteers associated with the audit going door-to-door and asking residents about their vote. A judge removed Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin from elected I totally take exception to the idea that Robyn Holmes our Republican clerk doesnt know what shes doing. 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. I dont have the same confidence in him, Griffin said. Under the first-look pact, Mortal Media will develop and produce a range of projects across film and television, in [] De-extinction is a, Roundhouse Roundup: Paramilitary rules, youth parole, Rio Bravo Park cleanup will take longer than expected, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Restaurants still struggling to recover from COVID, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, State basketball tournament: Girls first round recap, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Local casino hosts National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, UNM police arrest man for giving false ID, fleeing, Man connected to political shootings to stay behind, Whats happening around New Mexico Mar. Jeff Swanson, chairman of the Otero County Democratic Party, says Griffins divisive remarks hinder county efforts to secure state infrastructure spending, and he has engaged in intimidation by recording Cowboys for Trump videos from his office with a shotgun within view. . Sporting News sends Vikings an edge rusher with upside in latest mock While he did face criticism, including from fellow Republicans, in the aftermath of the events at the Capitol, Griffin survived an effort to recall him from his position, when a petition did not garner enough signatures. For now, Griffin has halted the petition with an appeal to the state Supreme Court, which hasnt decided whether to intervene. Otero County Commission Chairman and Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin rides his horse on 5th avenue on May 1, 2020 in New York City. Because I want to make sure our voices are accurately captured. He was a rodeo cowboy at Disneyland Paris and a pastor at the Cowboy Church in Alamogordo. Mr Griffin participated in a phone interview with Anthony Lucero on Alamogordo Town News radio edition on KALHRADIO.org 95.1 FM he explained the upcoming trail from his standpoint per a link at the end of this story. The pickup was emblazoned with his Cowboys For Trump logo. Trump cowboy seeks 2nd act in politics after Capitol breach - WKBN.com Ct. Sept. 6, 2022) [hereinafter Griffin . AG's office investigating Cowboys for Trump leader They embrace the instructions of leaders like former Trump adviser turned podcaster Stephen K. Bannon, who has urged election deniers to run for local races and sign up to be poll workers in what he calls his precinct-by-precinct takeover strategy. Brittany Costello: A number of people are facing charges, including you. The first-term county commissioner forged a group of rodeo acquaintances in 2019 into a promotional Cowboys for Trump posse to spread his conservative message about gun rights, immigration controls and abortion restrictions. He had hoped the president would address some problems with the forest near the town of Cloudcroft, which is at risk for fire. Ive had my own family say some pretty nasty things, Griffin said. Meanwhile, state prosecutors are investigating allegations Griffin used his office in coordination with Cowboys for Trump for personal financial gain, and signed a child-support check to his ex-wife from his Cowboys for Trump account. Griffin said he never entered the Capitol building. He said he began examining the alleged evidence of fraud in contested states like Georgia and Pennsylvania in the days following the election, and later had some of those who claimed to have observed it firsthand appear on his YouTube videos. Trump won there in 2020 with 73% of the vote. So who is the leader here today? Swanson asked. The Proud Boy. Couy Griffin Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Wife, Nationality, Net Worth "There have already been three audits," including one by the Secretary of State's office and another by an independent contractor. "And it forced us to go out of business and it's been something that I've never forgotten because it was so unfair and unjust.". 2-23-23 Alamogordo Town News Thursday Edition with Anthony Lucero KALHRadio.org, Creative Arts Community Action Alert Senate Action Begins Saturday. Magda Jean-Louis and Alice Crites contributed to this report. A New Mexico state judge on Thursday ordered convicted Capitol rioter Couy Griffin to be removed from his county commissioner seat, ruling that the Cowboys for Trump founder's involvement in the . A first-term commissioner in New Mexico's Otero County, Griffin rose to national prominence in May 2020 when Trump tweeted a video of him proclaiming that "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat." In 2019, he founded the for-profit "Cowboys for Trump" organization and has described himself as a "peaceful patriot." New Mexicos secretary of state has also rejected the allegations. Holmes has grown so disheartened by the couples oft-repeated allegations that she has stopped coming to meetings unless asked for. Shows how clueless you really are. ", But despite conversations with a Department of Agriculture official, nothing happened. He's king of the cowboys and self-promotion | Ringside Seat David and Erin Clements claimed that the states voting tabulators are insecure and miscount votes. "When they put this thought into people's minds, that somehow our machines are not calculating the votes correctly, then these people will not want to vote.". Its about the money, and this week in Otero County, New Mexico a jury will decide. Regardless of the outcome of this trial an appeal is expected. Both are extremely concerning and truly terrifying to say the least.. "It's not like I'm trying to overturn an election that we lost," he said. Weve figured out how theyre screwing you out of your vote, Clements said. Griffin had recently been booted out of office following his conviction on federal charges for trespassing outside the Capitol building during the January 6 attack. He takes things and extrapolates them to a place that comes completely out of thin air. Caught on video: 'Cowboys for Trump' leader Couy Griffin arrested for And that was one that got me, said Brown, part of a committee seeking to recall Griffin. His grandfather Wee Griffin held the Catron County post from 1963 to 1966. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. In Otero, two commissioners who had voted not to certify earlier in the week reversed their decisions and approved the results, bowing to an emergency order from the states Supreme Court that mandated them to follow their statutory duty. Clements was saying, Youre zombies, man. "And they're trying to spin routine election administration processes as somehow improper. But in a recent interview in Alamogordo, Griffin was determined to keep fighting for Trump, despite the audit's problems, plus the charges he faces for his role in the Capitol attack, financial difficulties and a profound disappointment in the former president himself. Trumps election defeat has left the 47-year-old father in a lonely fight for his political life after preaching to crowds at the U.S. Capitol siege, promising to take his guns to Bidens inauguration and landing in jail for over a week. In all, more than 400 people were charged in the insurrection, which left five dead and dozens of officers injured. Representing the plaintiffs are no fewer than seven attorneys listed in court records. He sees. On January 17 last year, the Justice Department released a statement saying that Griffin was being charged with 'knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful entry' adding that he had said in a video, later removed, that, "we could have a Second Amendment rally on those same steps that we had that rally yesterday. That day, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released their report into the threat of election misinformation. Couy Griffin, New Mexico county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump 3 Mar. The donut shop has announced it has closed its South Valley and Northeast Heights locations. Couy Griffin, one of three commissioners in Otero county in southern New Mexico, was immediately removed from his position and cannot hold elected office again, Francis Mathew, a district judge in . Thank you so much for your time and consideration. The pastors. Published: Saturday, August 13th, 2022 at 10:05PMUpdated: Sunday, August 14th, 2022 at 12:05AM. The Oath Keeper. 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. EXCLUSIVE: Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil are getting into business with Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was a complete change. Whenever you say, China stole the election. Who is going to break whose will? Clements said. Couy Griffin, Disqualified for Jan. 6? - WSJ "When they come up with these conspiracy theories, it really confuses the voters, and we have a hard enough time getting our voters out to vote as it is," she said. D-101-CV-2022-00473, 2022 WL 4295619 (N.M. Dist. We've received your submission. Do you regret anything that happened? They loved it, Harper said. Theyre trying to make it look like I was part of an insurrection in Washington, D.C., and insurrection is a criminal charge, Griffin said Friday in a phone interview. In the end, the commissioners voted to sue the secretary of states office for forcing them to certify the primary results. You know, and if we do, then its gonna be a sad day, because theres gonna be blood running out of that building." Thats what we need, Clements told an audience at a New Mexico church in February. With the pickup still running, the state cop walks back to his patrol car and notes to his partner.. New images show Couy Griffin scaling barricade during Capitol riots And he boasted about his participation in the January 6 storming of the Capitol. He sees. 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 Commissioner Couy Griffin, a. Its all falsehoods and speculation. Expect tightened security in the area of New York Avenue and an influx of press in the area on Tuesday. Jury weighs whether Cowboys for Trump flouted campaign law Clements, who was born in Seattle, grew up the child of itinerant parents who worked blue-collar jobs. Official Couy Griffin found guilty of illegally entering Capitol "It's been such a battle," he said. Cowboys for Trump Founder Turns on Trump Over Capitol Riot Charges They even quote me and cite my work on voting systems with modems and internet connectivity, but I disagree with every conclusion they draw from my work., I dont think he understands what hes talking about most of the time, said Greenhalgh. I think that, if that would have been the case, then I would have been charged with that in the United States federal court where this case should be.. "There's no absolutely no reason for this," she said. A New Mexico judge has removed a county commissioner from office and disqualified him from running for future office in response to his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot . The former Disneyland rodeo cowboy once rode down New York's Sixth Avenue wearing the furs of bobcats and coyotes he trapped and skinned, brandishing an American flag. 1 talking about this. A New Mexico county commissioner who heads Cowboys for Trump was arrested Sunday in Washington, D.C., by Capitol Police after vowing to bring back his guns for Inauguration Day. Officer: Reason why I stopped you, is I observed when you were back there and you werent wearing your seatbelt. I was to the point that, You guys arent even telling half-truths anymore,' she recalled. Citizens hurled insults at leaders voting for certification, calling them cowards, traitors to our country and rubber stamp puppets.. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Couy Griffin, Cowboys for Trump founder and Otero County commissioner, was arrested last year for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Alice Fordham joined the news team in 2022 after a career as an international correspondent, reporting for NPR from the Middle East and later Latin America and Europe. He further stated in his plea for public support; this fight is much greater than the person of Couy Griffin. Everette Brown, a Marine veteran and information technology specialist at Holloman Air Force Base who is Black, said that comment shows politics have changed Griffin, whom he once respected. Theyre going to eat some crow.. I'm sure the NM State Police will send you a video of the notorious cowboy criminal being cuffed and perp-walked. He perpetuates the former president's false claim that the 2020 elections were fraudulent. 0:00. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden sentenced Griffin in June to 14 days imprisonment, but credited him for 20 days he served in jail after his arrest. Griffin has cast Democratic Gov. Couy Griffin, an Otero County commissioner and co-founder of Cowboys for Trump, answers a question from the prosecution Monday, Aug. 15, at the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe. FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. Couy Griffin, a New Mexico county commissioner, ardent election-fraud conspiracy theorist and founder of Cowboys for Trump, avoided more jail time on Friday for his role in the January 6, 2021, US . Yeah.Officer: So if you want to waste our time here.. After the officer hands him the ticket, Griffin still gets in a parting shot. This could either be the final nail in my coffin or this could be a true day of reckoning. 'Cowboys for Trump' Founder to Stand Trial in Capitol Riot Case Griffin said hes been offered two plea deals, which he has turned down. SANTA FE, N.M. - A New Mexico state district court judge has disqualified county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump co- founder Couy Griffin from holding public office for engaging . 'Cowboys For Trump' Founder Appears To Dismiss Former - HuffPost The 249-page lawsuit alleges that Griffin can be removed as an Otero County commissioner for violating his oath of office because the 14th Amendment states that no officeholder sworn to uphold the Constitution shall have engaged in insurrection against the same, according to the suit. Pull him out of his pick-up, take him to the ground, and charge him with resisting arrest! If local jurisdictions fail to certify their votes, it could throw the outcome of an election into chaos, raising doubt about the results and giving ammunition to losing candidates who refuse to accept their defeats. Here are 13 more things about Couy: Couy Griffin Wife And Wikipedia: Everything About Cowboys For Trump New 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. However, the page included a disclaimer that [a]ll monies will be a direct donation to founder Couy Griffin and will be used as Couy sees fit to move this organization forward.. Now, Clements has taken his message nationwide, traveling to small towns in more than a dozen states, with a focus, he said, on places that are forgotten and abandoned and overlooked. His crusade to prove that voting systems cant be trusted has deepened fears among election experts, who say his meritless claims could give Trump allies more fodder to try to disrupt elections in November and beyond. Weekend Review: Tommy Fury gets last laugh against Jake Paul 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. Their additional three locations remain open. Clementss strategy is to target his message locally: to county commissioners and clerks, jobs that are lower profile but that wield an outsize role in administering Americas decentralized election system. Maggie Toulouse Oliver v Couy Griffin, Near mistrial results in not guilty verdict, Alamogordo Proud Flickinger Center Hosts Local Students to LP And The Vinyl, Alamogordo Proud local students take in the arts for free at Flickinger, Minor School Accident Bus #108 Tuesday NO Injuries, Maggie Toulouse Oliver v Couy Griffin Campaign Finance Violations Trial Day One Recap. First Amendment Icons Say Couy Griffin Can Be Disqualified - Law & Crime Weve never experienced a national coup, he told the crowd, standing before red, white and blue signs strung up alongside a bingo board. "But the need for the audit isn't necessarily here in Otero County. But luck may have run out for this cowboy pastor who rode to national political fame by embracing President Donald Trump with a series of horseback caravans and came crashing down with a defiant stand Jan. 6 against President Joe Bidens election. Contact Senator Griggs and Burton for Yes. The arbitrator, who was chosen by Griffin and Cowboys for Trump, found for the Secretary of State's Office. 'I've had my own family say some pretty nasty things': Trump cowboy Jury weighs whether Cowboys for Trump flouted campaign law Clements also asserted that the digital file containing the ballots from the 2020 elections had been deliberately wiped from the voting machines when in fact separate files are created for each election and the ballots and other records are preserved. But much of that I believe will depend on how much support we can build during this time and nothing can replace individual Americans showing up physically and standing alongside one another.. So whats the solution?. And thats what we had.. Clementss allegations extend to voting machines made by multiple companies, including Dominion Voting Systems, which are used in New Mexico and have been the target of false claims by Trump supporters. Cowboys for Trump still owes the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office $7,800 in fines. The election was stolen from me, and then you just walk away? Hero Worship - WackyRacky Officer: Hello, sir.Griffin: How you doing? New Mexico official first politician removed over January 6 attack He said the only good Democrat was a dead Democrat. Couy's ex-wife, Kourtnie, is a 34 years old Iraqi war veteran who was born in the year 1986. Couy Griffin is a white man from Tularosa, Otero County, New Mexico, United States. That happened Tuesday in New Mexico when a state judge disqualified Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin from holding public office. The New Mexico attorney general investigated embattled former Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys For Trump founder Couy Griffin for using C4T funds for personal use and taking official acts as commissioner for his personal gain. Trump Cowboy Seeks 2nd Act in Politics After Capitol Attack And something happened. "Ive seen the same videos that you have and there were people who acted extremely foolishly and recklessly and violently, and I dont agree with any of that type of behavior," Griffin said. Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KOB via our online formor call 505-243-4411. Republican primary candidates embracing Trumps stolen election rhetoric have flourished this year. Public defense attorneys say a close reading of the law shows the area wasnt off limits. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. But David and Erin Clements pressed on, appearing before the three-member, all-Republican Otero commission with a new target: the states June 7 primary. And yet he remains determined. New poll shows Trump with large lead over DeSantis among GOP voters The January 6th attack and the events surrounding it constituted an insurrection against the government and Constitution of the United States as defined by the 14th Amendment, the suit alleges. Were in a contest of wills. Yeah. In Washington, prosecutors unveiled photographs of Griffin climbing a toppled fence and another barrier to access the Capitol steps.