He looked back and saw his wife and children standing in the window watching him, weeping. Regardless of the outcome of this trial an appeal is expected. "It's not like I'm trying to overturn an election that we lost," he said. 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. Id see other happy families on vacation while I would bus their tables as an underage kid and say, is this it, Lord? , But, he said he realized, God was preparing me for something, to see artifice, to see lies.. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) 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. He sees himself as governor one day. Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin barred from public office for "I was never involved in anything violent on that day, and there was never anything violently done around me," he said when asked about the incident. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. "Cowboys for Trump" co-founder Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington on June 17, 2022. . 'Cowboys For Trump' Founder Arrested In D.C. After Vowing To - HuffPost Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. 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. Griffin is presumed innocent until proven guilty. "We would cut trees that had been blown over by the wind, we would cut trees that have been killed by forest fires," he said. He has appeared on Fox News and on Bannons podcast. "What I'm trying to do through this audit," he said, "is I'd like to create a blueprint for other counties to be able to follow as well. That day, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released their report into the threat of election misinformation. Citizens hurled insults at leaders voting for certification, calling them cowards, traitors to our country and rubber stamp puppets.. Cowboys For Trump leader guilty on one count in Jan. 6 Capitol riot The couple soon found an ally in Couy Griffin, a flamboyant former Disneyland Paris rodeo cowboy who until this week was a member of the county commission in Otero, a rural New Mexico community. 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. 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. 70 202 CPAC 2023 - live: CPAC chief Matt Schlapp dodges questions on Trump cowboy seeks 2nd act in politics after U.S. Capitol breach 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. He's king of the cowboys and self-promotion | Ringside Seat KOB-TV, LLC The political operative. Sicknick, a Capitol police. 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.. 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. An ex-professor spreads election myths across the U.S., one town at a 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. You think that the governor hates me as a county commissioner put a gun and a badge on me, and well see.. It is being investigated by State Auditor Brian Coln after complaints prompted concerns about the procurement process. She also worked as a podcast producer for The Economist among other outlets, and tries to meld a love of sound and storytelling with solid reporting on the community. He yearns to someday run for governor even though state GOP leaders are openly scornful and Democrats hold every statewide elected office. A Donald Trump supporter, Griffin founded Cowboys for Trump and listed his sister Kay Griffin as its organizer. Cowboys for Trump Founder Turns on Trump Over Capitol Riot Charges White v. Griffin, No. Couy Griffin's Horse - Facebook 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. And he is disillusioned with Trump himself, citing an issue that brings him back to his earliest grievances: forest management. 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. 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. 'I've had my own family say some pretty nasty things': Trump cowboy Trump won there in 2020 with 73% of the vote. 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. Griffin said hes been offered two plea deals, which he has turned down. Its about the money, and this week in Otero County, New Mexico a jury will decide. He says his obsession with politics has taken a toll, contributing to his 2019 divorce and tensions with relatives. Shows how clueless you really are. He appeared first in Torrance County, where he led off comments at a raucous meeting. He perpetuates the former president's false claim that the 2020 elections were fraudulent. , Case dismissed for teen accused of taking gun to, Elderly man who killed sister takes plea deal, 2023 state basketball tournament brackets, Whats happening around New Mexico Feb. 24 Mar. Here you have Couy Griffin as Cowboys For Trump not only hiding assets from his ex-wife and son. 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. Couy Griffin will be featured on Wikipedia . Asked for comment, Erin Clements sent a video of Democratic lawmakers raising concerns about election security. 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. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. He said people wanting to sing the song popularly known as the Black national anthem should go back to Africa. This Otero County election review is part of a nationwide trend. Clements ended on a mournful note just before the audience began trickling out into the quiet evening, the sun setting over fields of thirsty corn. He means no malice on anybody, said George Seeds, outside the New Heart Cowboy Church in Alamogordo where Griffin once served as pastor. She said in an online press conference that she feared, "a scenario where the tabulators would instantly become, you know, questionable, and we would have to completely take them out of serviceIt's just a really scary, unfortunate and nonsensical situation. Couy Griffin, Disqualified for Jan. 6? - WSJ Couy Griffin: 'Cowboys for Trump' founder appears in January 6 - MSN He sees. Its like hes been radicalized somehow. He also says Cowboys for Trump is a for-profit company, not a political group. Theyre going to eat some crow.. In at least one case detailed in the affidavit, Griffin paid his ex-wife $350.00 from Cowboys for Trump LLC to cover his child support obligations. Clements says he is not paid for his appearances but asks for donations for travel expenses at the door. emergency order from the states Supreme Court. The folksy origin story might have helped his successful 2018 run for county commissioner but once in office Griffin amplified violence and bigotry. 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. 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. On Aug. 11, Clements and his wife presented the final findings of their audit in a special five-hour commissioners meeting, during which he got into a shouting match with the county attorney and told Holmes she should resign because it was disgusting how you fight the people. She left the meeting in tears. You people are funny that claim I harass Mr Griffin. "The reports that we've subsequently seen put out by these people have been riddled with falsehoods," she said. Expect tightened security in the area of New York Avenue and an influx of press in the area on Tuesday. Alamogordo Proud! He sees. The Cowboys for Trump website was not operational Feb. 13. 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. The Otero County commissioner is facing charges for his alleged role in the January insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He was also one of three commissioners in Otero, a county of some . Griffin, an ardent conspiracy theorist who refused to certify the state's primary election results this summer in Otero County, told CNN he has been ordered to clean out his office and attacked. The second trial in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot case is underway Monday, with New Mexico county commissioner, self-proclaimed cowboy and noted conspiracy theorist Couy Griffin appearing . Couy Griffin back in court over 'Cowboys for Trump' An off-duty sheriff follows reckless driver, shoots $20,000 in mattresses donated to a local non-profit Griffin said he is confident the judge will dismiss the lawsuit. Some have. Cowboys for Trump still owes the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office $7,800 in fines. With Trump or without, Griffin still ascribes to unsubstantiated claims of massive 2020 election fraud. And I said, well, you're gonna know exactly where it's at whenever the forest catches on fire around there, because it's gonna burn the whole town down. 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. The officers call Griffin over and the traffic stop gets ugly. 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. 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. Banned from Washington until testimony or trial, Griffin has returned to the routines of home in a tidy double-wide trailer in Tularosa, working most days as a stone mason. Judge bars Cowboys for Trump leader from son over posts | AP News Couy Griffin back in court to fight for his job Officer: Reason why I stopped you, is I observed when you were back there and you werent wearing your seatbelt. His rides with Cowboys for Trump through numerous states were a reprise of proselytizing trips he made from Ireland to Jerusalem, before social media, to hand out the Gospel of John. "You know, here I am still in a county that still has a great fire threat," Griffin said. Hed like to reinvent the sheriffs role as a brake on the governors power. "There's no absolutely no reason for this," she said. I totally take exception to the idea that Robyn Holmes our Republican clerk doesnt know what shes doing. In Sandoval County, Clements had so riled residents that the commissioners had to be removed from the hearing room by sheriffs deputies for their safety after voting 4-1 to approve the results, according to County Commissioner Katherine Bruch, a Democrat. Dominion officials have denied all allegations made against the company, filing multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuits against various people who spread the claims. I am already bracing for a media frenzy during this time because there is so much on the line. Couy Griffin Wife, Children Griffin is currently single, he was previously married to his girlfriend Kourtnie A Gates, but they were divorced in 2019. Trump cowboy seeks political comeback after Capitol riot In Alamogordo, Griffins rhetoric on race has steeled the determination of opponents who want him out of office. Griffin's term as county commissioner is up this year, and he has said he will not run again. Couy Griffin: You know, those would have to go through my counsel. Judge bars Cowboys for Trump leader from son over posts 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. In the end, the commissioners voted to sue the secretary of states office for forcing them to certify the primary results. 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.. And it was a challenging venture into the barbecue restaurant business that he said pushed him into politics. As news of the attack came, he was in his cabin in the mountains of New Mexico with his wife and three young children. 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. "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. New Mexico official Couy Griffin barred from office over Capitol riot 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. Officer: Where you headed to? Griffin has been rebuked by some Republicans over his racial invective. That happened Tuesday in New Mexico when a state judge disqualified Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin from holding public office. Early in his life, he struggled with drugs, alcohol and an assault conviction, he has said. Official Couy Griffin found guilty of illegally entering Capitol Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Griffin has acknowledged using the county building for promotional videos but said he never claimed they were . Be safe.Griffin: Id be embarrassed if I was you guys.Officer: Alright. WWG1WGA standing in Faith! Badou Jack - The best fighter on the Fury-Paul card was Jack, a 39-year-old Swede who has had notable success in three divisions over the past 13-plus years. The fanciful arguments of conspiracists obscure the countrys real need to continue to address election vulnerabilities, she said, such as internet voting 31 states and the District of Columbia allow it for overseas, military and in some places disabled voters as well as outdated paperless voting machines. And yet he remains determined. EXCLUSIVE: Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil are getting into business with Sony Pictures Entertainment. I said, God save us, please, please save our country, he recalled in a speech in Michigan last year. Their son was born in 2014. The cowboy. By MORGAN LEE February 28, 2023. The producing partners have signed a multi-year first-look development and production deal for film and TV via their Mortal Media production banner. Couy Griffin Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Wife, Nationality, Net Worth For now, Griffin has halted the petition with an appeal to the state Supreme Court, which hasnt decided whether to intervene. He raised this the first time the president called him. But when it was operational, it offered options to donate to the organization by direct donation or by purchasing merchandise. 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 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. 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. Because what they get away to doing to me will be what they inevitably do to you. Hes dined with Trump and Mike Lindell, the chief executive of MyPillow and high-profile election fraud conspiracist. 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. D-101-CV-2022-00473, 2022 WL 4295619 (N.M. Dist. "I've had my own family say. Brittany Costello: A number of people are facing charges, including you. Pecchia wrote a recommendation letter for Clements for a teaching award that recognizes excellence in pre-tenure professors. I dont have the money to go up against those kind of people, Griffin said Friday.