He is a pastor, a Republican and the son of a former commissioner in Catron County, New Mexico. Couy Griffin: All of the videos that day that show Capitol police officers opening doors, fist-bumping people coming in and beating people up and assaulting people on Capitol grounds. My mom worked at Kmart and Lowes, my dad bagged groceries, he said. Thats the battle. Their son was born in 2014. What is relevant is what our state government is doing to anyone who still believes in basic rights as a free American. Clements, who was born in Seattle, grew up the child of itinerant parents who worked blue-collar jobs. Allison Kuhn won outstanding team leader, Otero Electric Co-op Making Progress Restoring Power in Cloudcroft, Mescalero and Mountain Villages, KALH Radio Alamogordo Town News Exclusive PreTrial Interview with Attorney Johnathon C Miller, Ole Time Revival Feel Welcome to Counselor Johnathon C Miller Sets stage for Couy Griffin Trial, 2nd Life Media AlamogordoTownNews.com Event Calendar. Given his intelligence and accomplishments, the fact that hes decided to pursue this provably false theory is tragic and surprising, said Chris Luchini, the head of the Libertarian Party of New Mexico and a former colleague of Clements. 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. ", "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.". 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. Shows how clueless you really are. 3 Mar. I do worry about potential violence toward election officials, in particular around the upcoming general election, she said. The election was stolen from me, and then you just walk away? 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. The trial itself is expected to commence on Tuesday February 28th, 2023 with national media attention. He said the only good Democrat was a dead Democrat. And yet he remains determined. ", Oliver also said that if the audit did become a blueprint that other counties followed, "that would be even more concerning than the situation we're already dealing with.". I can handle a lot. In the search warrant documents filed with the court investigators detail that a Griffin supporter, Casey Conlee, created a Cowboys For Trump GoFundMe account to raise funds under the groups name. The trail will begin Tuesday on New York Avenue Alamogordo after jury selection expected to be completed on Monday. Nichols, advised that the frivolous lawsuit would not pass muster in court and would cost the county more than $100,000. Theyre going find out he didnt have anything to do with these types of things, he said. A New Mexico judge on Tuesday disqualified Couy Griffin, a county commissioner who founded Cowboys for Trump, from serving in public office ever again because of his participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.. Driving the news: The judge ruled that Griffin is "barred for life" from serving as an elected official, effective immediately, under the 14th Amendment because he took part in the . But my hope rests on the law, and the law is available to us all.. The pickup was emblazoned with his Cowboys For Trump logo. 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. Griffin shows hes not just an election denier, hes also a traffic ticket denier. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. The officers call Griffin. For all his bombast and showmanship, Griffin's fortunes and conviction seem to be waning. Make them go away. , One woman told him she and others in her county were planning to have a days-long outdoor slumber party near her countys one ballot drop-box before the November election to guard it from being stuffed with ballots a fear propagated by the debunked film 2000 Mules.. 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. Clements is one among a tightknit circle of Trump supporters who travel the country as self-appointed election fraud evangelists. Brittany Costello: A number of people are facing charges, including you. Clements was saying, Youre zombies, man. Couy Griffin has been booted from his seat as Otero County Commission chairman for violating his oath of office when he participated in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Im not going to sit and argue with that.. 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. Trump won there in 2020 with 73% of the vote. Cell phone video captured the violence and chaos of that day. Regardless of the outcome of this trial an appeal is expected. Weve got enough evidence to have indictments, people tried for treason and have the remedy of firing squads. Officer: Im going to issue a citation for the seatbelt. 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. By March, volunteers organized by David and Erin Clements calling themselves the New Mexico Audit Force were going door to door in Otero County asking citizens about how they voted in 2020. Because the rule of law needs to exist.. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. It is being investigated by State Auditor Brian Coln after complaints prompted concerns about the procurement process. If I was in your position I wouldnt be able to sleep at night, Griffin said to Holmes. He had a son with her, who currently lives with her. 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. "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. Any further details regarding Kourtnie have not been disclosed yet. David and Erin Clements claimed that the states voting tabulators are insecure and miscount votes. It was a complete change. Updated: March 23, 2022 - 2:43 PM. Were in a contest of wills. Couy Griffin: As far as regret goes, I dont have any regret from that day. Couy Griffin's Wife, Children Griffin is currently single, he was previously married to his girlfriend Kourtnie A Gates, but they were divorced in 2019. 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. 13h Heading to the courthouse to hear the verdict! But go ahead and do whatever you need to do.Officer: Yes, sir. Clements said in an interview that as an attorney he was eminently qualified to talk about the legalities surrounding voting machines, and that his wife, Erin, has two decades of expertise working with data as a civil engineer. He sees. Its like hes been radicalized somehow. With the pickup still running, the state cop walks back to his patrol car and notes to his partner.. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Olivier Uyttebrouck / Journal Staff Writer And yet he remains determined. 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. But this is also a man who beat a "Mom and Pop business" that has 5 kids out of thousands of dollars. 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. Griffin has been rebuked by some Republicans over his racial invective. Otero County commissioners in July rejected Griffins request for taxpayer-funded legal representation in the lawsuit. Holmes has grown so disheartened by the couples oft-repeated allegations that she has stopped coming to meetings unless asked for. Investigators said the investigation was launched after Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver referred her investigation into Griffins refusal to register C4T as a political committee and disclose donors and expenses. The U.S. intelligence community has continued to warn that foreign actors are probably targeting American elections. Officer: Where you headed to? McFadden also acquitted Griffin of a disorderly conduct charge. "And he kind of laughed and said no. No matter what anyones opinion is of me, personally, that is irrelevant. A document that David Clements claims shows a failure to update voter check-in machines for 11 years is inaccurate, since the state uses a different check-in system, the secretary of states office said. He sees. Cowboys for Trump, or C4T as it is known colloquially, was ordered by the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office to file as a political action committee and file all campaign finance reports or face fines. 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. "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. Thus the State Attorney General filed the lawsuit and a trail by jury was ordered. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Couy Griffin, Cowboys for Trump founder and Otero County commissioner, was arrested last year for his . 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 Weve figured out how theyre screwing you out of your vote, Clements said. You can play on an old beat-out dirt lot.. 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. In fact, in Otero County he said they plan to conduct an election audit, looking for fraud. By MORGAN LEE Associated Press February 28, 2023, 1:31 PM SANTA FE, N.M. -- 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. 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. Some extra notes, quotes, news and notes from the Lobos Friday night basketball game in Fort Collins, Colorado. 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. In all, more than 400 people were charged in the insurrection, which left five dead and dozens of officers injured. Feb 27, 2023. 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. Clements says he is not paid for his appearances but asks for donations for travel expenses at the door. Colorado State slices up Lobos; UNM is a 6 To say that defense was optional would imply is was a choice. He said he went to pray and exercise his right to peacefully protest, but he was arrested for his involvement. 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. 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. 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. New Mexicos secretary of state has also rejected the allegations. Griffin went to court over the seatbelt ticket where he was ordered to pay the $81 fine. Friday night on, Senate Bill 2 would bring the pay of state Supreme Court justices in line with. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican we should all want to make sure our elections are secure.. The case went to federal district court where a judge dismissed Griffin's case where he tried to have the New Mexico Campaign Reporting Act declared unconstitutional. They have a Son Together was born in 2014. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. 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. 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. 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. Officer: Hello, sir.Griffin: How you doing? Donnie Reynolds, a 51-year-old sales associate at an Alamogordo hardware store, says Griffin is being targeted for ties to Trump. Couy Griffin was wanted on an arrest warrant after storming the barricades of the Capitol Jan. 6, said authorities. A recent report from congressional Democrats on election misinformation highlighted Clementss activities and concluded that the greatest current threat to democratic legitimacy now comes from lies by domestic actors who seek to convince Americans that their election systems are fraudulent, corrupt, or insecure., New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who has clashed repeatedly with Clements and his wife, said the misinformation and disinformation were being seeded as core beliefs, not just with elected officials but the general public.. Speak up a little.Officer: I said I am going to issue a citation for a seatbelt. He yearns to someday run for governor even though state GOP leaders are openly scornful and Democrats hold every statewide elected office. 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. 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. Griffin said hes been offered two plea deals, which he has turned down. Cowboys 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. 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. 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. Its been real hard.. "They see that I'm willing to take a stand," he said. Brittany Costello: Do you personally have any of those videos? I dont want them. Dominion officials have denied all allegations made against the company, filing multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuits against various people who spread the claims. 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. Where I need peoples support is to show up and stand shoulder to shoulder in Alamogordo for this trial. Neither, however, has experience running elections or formal education in voting machine systems. Ron DeSantis by about 15 points in a new Republican presidential poll, with newly announced candidate Nikki Haley and former Vice . The canvass was part of a controversial third-party audit that commissioners had voted to spend nearly $50,000 on in January, despite the fact that the county went overwhelmingly for Trump, with the incumbent winning nearly 62 percent of the vote. Their additional three locations remain open. Griffin was convicted in federal court of entering a restricted area outside the U.S. Capitol. A Donald Trump supporter, Griffin founded Cowboys for Trump and listed his sister Kay Griffin as its organizer. A jury will consider this week whether the support group . "I was raised in the shadow of a great man," he said. He is still facing federal charges. Youre in the middle of elections that are fraudulent right now if what theyre telling us is true., If what theyre telling us is true, Holmes said, shouting, IF!. Officer: Reason why I stopped you, is I observed when you were back there and you werent wearing your seatbelt. Couy's ex-wife, Kourtnie, is a 34 years old Iraqi war veteran who was born in the year 1986. Still, loyal constituents are easy to come by in a rural county steeped in the anti-establishment, pro-gun culture that dominates southern New Mexico. Despite his Cowboys for Trump shirt, he said all but one of the fellow cowboys drifted away after January 6 last year. FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings, Olivier Uyttebrouck / Journal Staff Writer. Some have. 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. Hed like to reinvent the sheriffs role as a brake on the governors power. The ruling comes after lawyers for Griffin's ex-wife, Kourtnie, filed an emergency motion in May to modify their custody and visitation agreement. I got a better idea. 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 . This is a nonpartisan issue, Griffin said in an interview. He further stated in his plea for public support; this fight is much greater than the person of Couy Griffin. 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. 1 talking about this. The allegations against CPAC chief Matt Schlapp. Yeah. 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. He raised this the first time the president called him. 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. In July. Officer: Yep, still wasnt wearing his seatbelt. She grew up in the U.K. and has a small jar of Marmite in her kitchen for emergencies. That day, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released their report into the threat of election misinformation. A donkey named Henry brays from a side yard. 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. 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. Hes dined with Trump and Mike Lindell, the chief executive of MyPillow and high-profile election fraud conspiracist.
Common Coding Variances Include All Of The Following Except,
Articles C