"My day consisted of everything non-violent and patriotic, but the media is trying to paint a different picture, and unfortunately, theyre having success at it," Griffin told KOB 4. Get some lunch?Griffin: Im headed to get my truck washed. The county sheriffs sole duty and responsibility is to protect our individual rights, he said. Yet two independent election security experts who have examined the Clements work Susan Greenhalgh, senior adviser on election security for the nonprofit Free Speech For People, and Kevin Skoglund, president and chief technologist for the nonpartisan Citizens for Better Elections said the fraud charges are baseless and misleading. A jury will consider this week whether the support group . And yet he remains determined. After years of unwavering support, Griffin suggested he. Wearing a Cowboys for Trump shirt, and sitting in the office he shares with the heads of a deer and an elk, Griffin discussed the roots of his brand of populist politics. Now, Griffin is spearheading a legally dubious audit of the 2020 election in Otero County. 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. Any further details regarding Kourtnie have not been disclosed yet. 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. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. For now, Griffin has halted the petition with an appeal to the state Supreme Court, which hasnt decided whether to intervene. In Alamogordo, Griffins rhetoric on race has steeled the determination of opponents who want him out of office. 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. 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. "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. 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. This could either be the final nail in my coffin or this could be a true day of reckoning. Couy Griffin will be featured on Wikipedia . I wasnt charged with insurrection because the evidence to criminally charge me was not there according to the letter of the law, he said. Those claims are rooted in a 2020 election night error by the clerk in a Michigan county that resulted in the heavily Republican area briefly reporting that Biden had beaten Trump there. Under the first-look pact, Mortal Media will develop and produce a range of projects across film and television, in [] I dont have the same confidence in him, Griffin said. 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.". And yet, Griffin said in an interview that the audit is strategic, designed to forge a path so other counties in New Mexico audit their elections, a gambit that echoes a nationwide push by Republican officials to sow doubt about election results by pushing for audits. Should Griffin be found guilty of the charge, he could be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 or by up to a year imprisonment, court records state. Because I want to make sure our voices are accurately captured. He asked me to cover the prayer vigil we were the only press to do so and his attorney was happy with the coverage as was he and moved to tears. Yet he couldn't say why its principal place of business is listed as Santa Fe but its mailing address is in Spokane, Wash. Griffin said. "But the need for the audit isn't necessarily here in Otero County. He was a rodeo cowboy at Disneyland Paris and a pastor at the Cowboy Church in Alamogordo. Colorado State slices up Lobos; UNM is a 6 seed in league tourney, After bill was vetoed last year, lawmakers try again to boost pay of NM judges, If it MUST be the NIT, UNM basketball has a plan. Published: January 6, 2022 - 1:40 PM. He broadcast from the January 6, 2021 takeover of the US Capitol looking like the Cowboy Church pastor he used to be, in a tie and cowboy hat. Whenever you say, China stole the election. The lawsuit contends that Griffin violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits officeholders sworn to uphold the Constitution from engaging in an insurrection against the U.S. government. The pickup was emblazoned with his Cowboys For Trump logo. Thanks for contacting us. 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. ", "To the extent that their goal is to actually have a negative impact on voter confidence," she added, "we are very concerned about the election in 2022, and obviously in 2024.". Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Skier Shiffrin locks up overall title, still chases, Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games gets off to, 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado,, Mikal Bridges helps Nets rally to stun Celtics, 115-105, NASCAR star Elliott has leg surgery after snowboard, New images surface of Couy Griffin at Capitol insurrection, Report: Couy Griffin denies COVID test, delaying potential release hearing, Should we bring back the dodo? In a conversation with The Associated Press, Griffin says he learned to love the spotlight during five years as an expert rodeo hand in a Wild West show at Paris Disneyland park. Ex-NBA Champ Shares Screenshot of Soccer League's Ridiculous Question for His Son - He's Fuming . He grew up in Reserve, in western New Mexico, where his father ran a sawmill. Griffin is one of thousands of Trump loyalists in public office who are charting an uncertain future ahead of the 2022 election cycle. His 12 th-round knockout of Ilunga . David and Erin Clements claimed that the states voting tabulators are insecure and miscount votes. He said commissioners are expected to approve funding for that next week. Griffin and Cowboys for Trump refused to do so and the case went to arbitration. 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. "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. 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. Hes part of a smaller cadre who flirted with insurrection on Trumps behalf and may still pay a high price. 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. Holmes has grown so disheartened by the couples oft-repeated allegations that she has stopped coming to meetings unless asked for. I dont want them. A state judge on Tuesday ordered Griffin removed from office, citing his role in having aided the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. "There have already been three audits," including one by the Secretary of State's office and another by an independent contractor. The role of creativity in resilience and community-building, Alamogordo Proud Downtown Nights Otero Arts Exhibition Opening, Late Shopping and More, Downtown stores open till 8 pm Friday student art exhibition and more, Alamogordo Proud It is All About the Fashion Spotlight Alamogordo Artisan Linda Swenson, Alamogordo Proud is All about the fashions of Alamogordo's Linda Swenson, AlamogordoTownNews.com Tularosa High School Students Excel in Competitions, AlamogordoTownNews.com Not Guilty! 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 of 69,000 along the Texan border. It concluded that if elections continued to be litigated and relitigated, without evidence of fraud, there is a serious threat voters will refuse to accept votes they do not like, and that the, "peaceful transfer of power, a hallmark of our democracy, could be at risk.". Later, he served as the vice chair for legal affairs of the states Libertarian party. Griffin went to court over the seatbelt ticket where he was ordered to pay the $81 fine. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. Thats something the media is not telling us right now, not showing us but its going to come out. Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin is confronting a trial by jury on charges that he. . "You know, here I am still in a county that still has a great fire threat," Griffin said. I can handle a lot. For two hours, Clements who has the rumpled look of an academic, though he lost his business school professors job last fall for refusing to wear a mask in class spoke of breached voting machines, voter roll manipulation and ballot stuffing that he falsely claims cost former president Donald Trump victory in 2020. The U.S. intelligence community has continued to warn that foreign actors are probably targeting American elections. Officer: Youre free to go. Contact Senator Griggs and Burton for Yes. The countys attorney disagreed, calling the argument highly unlikely.. Emptying the Notebook: Can the Lobos get a defensive stop when it counts? Republican primary candidates embracing Trumps stolen election rhetoric have flourished this year. He takes things and extrapolates them to a place that comes completely out of thin air. Griffin's term as county commissioner is up this year, and he has said he will not run again. Couy Griffin Wikipedia And Age. They have a Son Together was born in 2014. He said people wanting to sing the song popularly known as the Black national anthem should go back to Africa. 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. Regardless of the outcome of this trial an appeal is expected. The lawsuit against Griffin was filed in March by Marco White and Leslie Lakind, both Santa Fe County residents, along with Mark Mitchell of Los Alamos County. . 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. 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. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican we should all want to make sure our elections are secure.. I got a better idea. See State ex rel. 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. 3 Mar. 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.. "When they shut our sawmill down, it just leaves all of that useless material, if you will, in our forests which creates more fire hazards.". So who is the leader here today? Swanson asked. Clements says he is not paid for his appearances but asks for donations for travel expenses at the door. And he is disillusioned with Trump himself, citing an issue that brings him back to his earliest grievances: forest management. Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings, Olivier Uyttebrouck / Journal Staff Writer. Published: Saturday, August 13th, 2022 at 10:05PMUpdated: Sunday, August 14th, 2022 at 12:05AM. 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. 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. 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. Couy Griffin: You know, those would have to go through my counsel. "They see that I'm willing to take a stand," he said. I take the seatbelts very serious.Griffin: Oh yeah, Im sure.Officer: Yeah, just because all the crashes Ive seen.Griffin: Its too bad you dont take more of the drugs and the other crime going on a little bit more serious instead of out here citing people for no seatbelts. He says his obsession with politics has taken a toll, contributing to his 2019 divorce and tensions with relatives. Just weeks later, in October 2021, he was fired, by his own account, for refusing to wear a mask in class. Clements won last year. And yet he remains determined. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. 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.. We've received your submission. The arbitrator, who was chosen by Griffin and Cowboys for Trump, found for the Secretary of State's Office. I'm sure the NM State Police will send you a video of the notorious cowboy criminal being cuffed and perp-walked. Its probably why New Mexico is a toilet. In the end, the commissioners voted to sue the secretary of states office for forcing them to certify the primary results. Officer: Reason why I stopped you, is I observed when you were back there and you werent wearing your seatbelt. 0:00. Nichols, advised that the frivolous lawsuit would not pass muster in court and would cost the county more than $100,000. 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. The allegations against CPAC chief Matt Schlapp. I never ever got the impression he was so radical about things like that and I felt stupid I had submitted a letter for this guy nominating him for this great award.. My heart filled and I heard, We are going to win. . David Clements urged commissioners not to perform their statutory duty to certify the results, arguing that doing so would place them in legal jeopardy because of the problems they alleged with the machines. The election was stolen from me, and then you just walk away? 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. Brittany Costello: Do you personally have any of those videos? 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. Donnie Reynolds, a 51-year-old sales associate at an Alamogordo hardware store, says Griffin is being targeted for ties to Trump. Griffin has cast Democratic Gov. But this is also a man who beat a "Mom and Pop business" that has 5 kids out of thousands of dollars. Dominion officials have denied all allegations made against the company, filing multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuits against various people who spread the claims. At times I felt cursed. I just went to stand in what I believe is my constitutional right, to peacefully protest. New Mexicos secretary of state has also rejected the allegations. They are wrong about voting technology, election processes, certification, and legal requirements, Skoglund said. , 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. 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 wasnt involved in anything violent, or disruptive, or disorderly. 1:07. He appeared first in Torrance County, where he led off comments at a raucous meeting. In fact, in Otero County he said they plan to conduct an election audit, looking for fraud. Their additional three locations remain open. As CPAC's 2023 edition kicks off, the man who greets the myriad right-wing activists and supporters descending on Maryland . 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. Thus the State Attorney General filed the lawsuit and a trail by jury was ordered. Hes dined with Trump and Mike Lindell, the chief executive of MyPillow and high-profile election fraud conspiracist. 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 . Their county attorney, R.B. 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 . 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. 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. Griffin said he is confident the judge will dismiss the lawsuit. I do worry about potential violence toward election officials, in particular around the upcoming general election, she said. All they need to do to change the system, he assured them, is to win over a handful of commission votes. Griffin has suggested that voting machines provided by Dominion Voting Systems across New Mexico could have been hacked. "Just struggling every day with new regulations, new laws, new taxes," he said. My vote to remain a no isnt based on any evidence, its not based on any facts, its only based on my gut feeling and my own intuition, and thats all I need, Griffin said, his drawl tinny on the speakerphone.