New Mexicos secretary of state has also rejected the allegations. Despite his Cowboys for Trump shirt, he said all but one of the fellow cowboys drifted away after January 6 last year. Donnie Reynolds, a 51-year-old sales associate at an Alamogordo hardware store, says Griffin is being targeted for ties to Trump. The Otero County commissioner is facing charges for his alleged role in the January insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Pull him out of his pick-up, take him to the ground, and charge him with resisting arrest! "I don't think there's any more productive way to spend tax dollars than to make sure our elections aren't compromised," he told an Otero County Commission meeting in January. Brittany Costello: Do you personally have any of those videos? In his disciplinary hearing, which Clements posted online, the university said he violated the schools covid-19 mask and vaccination policy. The need for the audit in New Mexico was more in the likes of Bernalillo County, and Sandoval County and Doa Ana County," referring to areas where President Joe Biden won the 2020 vote. The county sheriffs sole duty and responsibility is to protect our individual rights, he said. Because the rule of law needs to exist.. And something happened. 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. Clements came down from the mountain filled with zeal and sitting down in his garage armed with nothing more than a laptop and a crappy microphone soon began posting about alleged election fraud on YouTube. "I do believe our elections were stolen," he said. Griffin, the only dissenter, called his vote in from Washington, where he had just been sentenced to 14 days in jail time served for his role in the Capitol attack. In what he described as a mission, he traveled on horseback from San Francisco to New York, and then across Europe and the Mediterranean to Jerusalem, arriving in 2008 after more than two years on the road. He was also one of three commissioners in Otero, a county of some . Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. No fewer than 86 judges rejected at least one post-election lawsuit filed by Trump or his supporters, a Washington Post review of court filings found. Page provides news from near and far about our hero of. 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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Trump proposes building futuristic, Jetsons-like freedom cities on federal land, Pompeo calls $31 trillion national debt indecent at CPAC, Trump recites Pledge of Allegiance in collaboration on new song with J6 Prison Choir, Bidens laughable, late-to-the-game crackdown on massive COVID fraud. The claim that the volunteer canvassers found dozens of ghost voters at one address turned out to reference the Post Office box at a nearby military base. Youre zombies, Pecchia recalled. Do you regret anything that happened? Clements was saying, Youre zombies, man. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Olivier Uyttebrouck / Journal Staff Writer He says Griffin is right about lots of things, like the need for a border wall. Whenever you say, China stole the election. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. Couy Griffin (via CREW legal filing) Leading First Amendment experts have weighed in on a lawsuit against a New Mexico man convicted in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying that he cannot use the First Amendment as a defense to the constitutional prohibition against insurrectionists holding public office. Brittany Costello: A number of people are facing charges, including you. Couy Griffin Griffin, who was convicted of a federal misdemeanor in March for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, is representing himself in the lawsuit, which. With the pickup still running, the state cop walks back to his patrol car and notes to his partner.. He has sent out a public plea in an attempt to win in the court of public opinion, by garnering a large showing of supporters, shoulder to shoulder to appear at the Otero County Courthouse. He is still facing federal charges. Is it my county commissioners or these people sitting here who had lunch with Donald Trump and the MyPillow guy?, On June 17, the states deadline to certify election results, Clements drove several hundred miles in his old Buick, hoping to stop commissions across New Mexico from approving the votes. More immediately, Griffin is eyeing an open 2022 sheriffs race in another New Mexico county where he grew up. 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. He has appeared on Fox News and on Bannons podcast. Trump won there in 2020 with 73% of the vote. At New Mexico State University, Clements was known for his engaging lectures, being available to students and grading papers late into the night, according to David Pecchia, a former student and retired Air Force master sergeant who was close to Clements and considered him a mentor. All they need to do to change the system, he assured them, is to win over a handful of commission votes. Griffin is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Sledgehammers! a woman at the back of the room yelled out. They are wrong about voting technology, election processes, certification, and legal requirements, Skoglund said. Officer: Hello, sir.Griffin: How you doing? Their additional three locations remain open. 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. Distraught that Bidens victory would be validated by Congress despite the insurrection, he has said that he ran outside and fell on his knees, next to the fire pit. Clements, who was born in Seattle, grew up the child of itinerant parents who worked blue-collar jobs. That case was appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals which declined to reverse the federal district court decision, After an appeal to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to reverse the decision made by U.S. District Court's dismissal of a case where Cowboys for Trump tried to have the. It makes me sick whenever I watch it.". Some have. The criminal complaint which is basis for the lawsuit states that "on or between January 15, 2020 and March 18, 2022, Couy Griffin did willfully and knowingly violate and provision of the Campaign Reporting Act by failing to register Cowboys for Trump as a political committee with the Secretary of State, by failing to file all required finance reports and by failing to pay statutory fines for failure to file; after receiving a lawful order to do so, a misdemeanor offense.". Couy Griffin is a white man from Tularosa, Otero County, New Mexico, United States. So who is the leader here today? Swanson asked. Theyre going find out he didnt have anything to do with these types of things, he said. 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. Griffin has claimed he did not knowingly trespass. Griffin delivered a scathing rebuke last year as the NFL announced game-opening renditions of Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the Black national anthem. "I asked him, Mr. President, do you know where Cloudcroft, New Mexico is?" And yet he remains determined. Cowboys for Trump still owes the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office $7,800 in fines. For all his bombast and showmanship, Griffin's fortunes and conviction seem to be waning. I totally take exception to the idea that Robyn Holmes our Republican clerk doesnt know what shes doing. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. He lives in a doublewide trailer. If I was in your position I wouldnt be able to sleep at night, Griffin said to Holmes. So whats the solution?. 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. 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 . The political operative. And since he is still in office, he was able to push for the audit. Ex-NBA Champ Shares Screenshot of Soccer League's Ridiculous Question for His Son - He's Fuming . This decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3, and . 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. Griffin is one of thousands of Trump loyalists in public office who are charting an uncertain future ahead of the 2022 election cycle. A recall effort is underway, amid a bevy of lawsuits. McFadden also acquitted Griffin of a disorderly conduct charge. 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. I dont have the same confidence in him, Griffin said. Couy Griffin has been barred from in-person visits with his son due to social media posts that have produced threats and for refusing to comply with the requirements of the COVID-19 mask. Liz Howard, Senior Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, said that contractors hired to do these audits frequently have little to no experience in election administration. And yet he remains determined. Michelle Lujan Grisham as his political nemesis on issues of gun control, abortion and pandemic restrictions. The audience, which included a local minister, a bank teller and farmers in their overalls, gasped in horror or whispered wow with each new claim. Pecchia wrote a recommendation letter for Clements for a teaching award that recognizes excellence in pre-tenure professors. He is a pastor, a Republican and the son of a former commissioner in Catron County, New Mexico. Couy Griffin Wife, Children Griffin is currently single, he was previously married to his girlfriend Kourtnie A Gates, but they were divorced in 2019. 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. One recent still summer night in this tiny city on the Nebraska prairie, more than 60 people showed up at a senior citizens center to hear attorney David Clements warn of an epidemic of purported election fraud. Clements, 42, was a popular tenure-track assistant professor teaching law in the business school of New Mexico State University on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob loyal to Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol. Its like hes been radicalized somehow. The cowboy. I could also be in jeopardy of having my pretrial release affected from January 6th that could result in me being transferred back to the DC Gulag in Washington DC. I wasnt charged with insurrection because the evidence to criminally charge me was not there according to the letter of the law, he said. What is relevant is what our state government is doing to anyone who still believes in basic rights as a free American. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said that her office was working to ensure the process does not compromise the "security and integrity" of the tabulating machines used in the elections. 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. This is yet another example of how lies about Dominion have damaged our company and diminished the publics faith in elections, Dominion spokeswoman Stephanie Walstrom said of Clements. Couy Griffin, of New Mexico, was arrested today in Washington, D.C., and charged by criminal complaint with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful entry. 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. In October, around the time he was fired from his university job, David and Erin Clements mailed a 261-page document to commissioners and county clerks across New Mexico alleging widespread issues with the voting systems what the congressional report called imaginary fraud.. He sees. His concern is the direction of this country, where its going.. Hes an advocate for stricter state voting laws and a die-hard opponent of COVID-19 restrictions who says hell no to taking the vaccine. The folksy origin story might have helped his successful 2018 run for county commissioner but once in office Griffin amplified violence and bigotry. And yet he remains determined. 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. "The reports that we've subsequently seen put out by these people have been riddled with falsehoods," she said. Officer: Youre free to go. 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. Griffin said David Clements knows what hes talking about and that he is the kind of expert Griffin wants to explain complicated voting systems to him, rather than the election officials in his own county. "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.". Kourtnie served in the US military and is a war Veteran. And if we dont fix our country, I cant go back to that world.. "On the afternoon of January 17, 2021, the U.S. Capitol Police notified the FBI that they had detained Couy Griffin of New Mexico, who was the subject of an arrest warrant for his role in the . This story has been shared 104,709 times. The producing partners have signed a multi-year first-look development and production deal for film and TV via their Mortal Media production banner. Some extra notes, quotes, news and notes from the Lobos Friday night basketball game in, To say that defense was optional would imply is was a choice. 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. 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. He sees. Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin confronted a trial by jury on Tuesday on charges that he failed to register a political organisation without filing related public financial disclosures. Griffin plans to ride the charges out to trial, claiming theres more than meets the eye. Like others preaching the gospel of election fraud, Clements has attracted a large following online, where he mixes conspiracies with Christian nationalist and sometimes violent rhetoric. , 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. In fact, in Otero County he said they plan to conduct an election audit, looking for fraud. The ruling comes after lawyers for Griffin's ex-wife, Kourtnie, filed an emergency motion in May to modify their custody and visitation agreement. TULAROSA, N.M. He rodeoed in a Buffalo Bill-style Wild West show, carried his message on horseback from the Holy Land to Times Square and was invited to the White House to meet the president. A Donald Trump supporter, Griffin founded Cowboys for Trump and listed his sister Kay Griffin as its organizer. Mr. Griffin has opted to be defended by a public defender for this case with home court advantage. What is sure to be a media circus for Alamogordo next week, Jury selection will begin Monday at the Otero County New Mexico Courthouse in the trial of the state of New Mexico v Couy Griffin, leader of Cowboys for Trump. Ramie Harper, a 67-year-old former bull rider from Fruitland, took a break from making custom hats to join the caravan. See State ex rel. 89.9 FM Live From The University Of New Mexico. Hear their stories. The Oath Keeper. ", Meantime, his barbecue business never succeeded. The New Mexico Supreme Court denied an appeal from former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin in the case that removed him from office based on his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Sicknick, a Capitol police. Asked for comment, Erin Clements sent a video of Democratic lawmakers raising concerns about election security. KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. The language, known as the disqualification clause, is part of a Civil War-era constitutional amendment intended to bar former Confederates from holding state or federal offices. I wasnt involved in anything violent, or disruptive, or disorderly. The trail will begin Tuesday on New York Avenue Alamogordo after jury selection expected to be completed on Monday. Im not going to sit and argue with that.. D-101-CV-2022-00473, 2022 WL 4295619 (N.M. Dist. Cell phone video captured the violence and chaos of that day. Couy Dale Griffin (born 1973) is a former politician who served from 2019 to 2022 as a county commissioner for District 2 of Otero County, New Mexico, which covers Tularosa, Three Rivers, La Luz, the western parts of Alamogordo, and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.In September 2022, Griffin was removed from office under the Disqualification Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United . 70 202 Get some lunch?Griffin: Im headed to get my truck washed. I take the seatbelts very serious just because the amount of crashes weve both seen.Griffin: What is it? Griffin participated in, encouraged, and promoted the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol, the suit alleges. The pastors. Hed like to reinvent the sheriffs role as a brake on the governors power. It is being investigated by State Auditor Brian Coln after complaints prompted concerns about the procurement process. He grew up in Reserve, in western New Mexico, where his father ran a sawmill. 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. 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. Later, he served as the vice chair for legal affairs of the states Libertarian party. This guy has gone off the deep end. A rancher named Dave Wright raised his hand to say that it was obvious to him the Democratic National Committee had figured out how to cheat, so why couldnt the Republicans do so as well? The motion said Couy Griffin "has. Magda Jean-Louis and Alice Crites contributed to this report. Weve figured out how theyre screwing you out of your vote, Clements said. Griffin's term as county commissioner is up this year, and he has said he will not run again. Alamogordo High School Alamogordo Proud Breaking Stereotypes and Winning in Welding Competition, Alamogordo was the only team to be represented with female welders. A jury will consider this week whether the support group . 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.
