Its like hes been radicalized somehow. The motion said Couy Griffin "has. "I asked him, Mr. President, do you know where Cloudcroft, New Mexico is?" 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. I was to the point that, You guys arent even telling half-truths anymore,' she recalled. Pecchia wrote a recommendation letter for Clements for a teaching award that recognizes excellence in pre-tenure professors. Griffin had previously sued Toulouse Oliver claiming he was not required to register or file as a political committee. 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. Guitarist Ottmar Liebert bringing his unique blend of music Ottmar Liebert and his band Luna Negra will perform with the New Mexico Philharmonic at Popejoy Hall on Saturday, March 11. And yet he remains determined. Its all falsehoods and speculation. "I wanted to go from just being a voice to having a vote.". Brittany Costello: Are you willing to share those? Griffin is scheduled on Monday and Tuesday for a trial without a jury before 1st Judicial District Judge Francis Mathew in Santa Fe. 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 . See State ex rel. 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. With Trump or without, Griffin still ascribes to unsubstantiated claims of massive 2020 election fraud. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. 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. As per the sources, He was married to him for a long time and got divorced in 2019. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, the founder of Cowboys for Trump, takes in the view from his ranch in Tularosa, N.M., on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. With the pickup still running, the state cop walks back to his patrol car and notes to his partner.. 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. In the end, the commissioners voted to sue the secretary of states office for forcing them to certify the primary results. Im a child of the trailer park. Why? he asked. Speak up a little.Officer: I said I am going to issue a citation for a seatbelt. This decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3, and . 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. Former President Donald Trump leads Florida Gov. He appeared first in Torrance County, where he led off comments at a raucous meeting. Page provides news from near and far about our hero of. Friday night on, Senate Bill 2 would bring the pay of state Supreme Court justices in line with. 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 . The trial itself is expected to commence on Tuesday February 28th, 2023 with national media attention. 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. The county sheriffs sole duty and responsibility is to protect our individual rights, he said. They are wrong about voting technology, election processes, certification, and legal requirements, Skoglund said. Griffin lists himself as manager of Cowboys for Trump. Otero Arts Puppet Show, Authors Lecture and More, Childrens Art Exhibition Opening Night Otero Arts. Expect tightened security in the area of New York Avenue and an influx of press in the area on Tuesday. "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. Their son was born in 2014. . This Otero County election review is part of a nationwide trend. 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. KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. 70 202 Holmes said this is baseless and runs the risk of eroding trust in democratic systems. Cowboys for Trump still owes the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office $7,800 in fines. Couy Griffin was founder of a group called Cowboys for Trump and a member of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 1:07. 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. Former Otero County Commissioner and well-known rabble-rouser Couy Griffin was pulled over in Alamogordo in his Dodge Ram in early November. He said people wanting to sing the song popularly known as the Black national anthem should go back to Africa. And yet he remains determined. Do you regret anything that happened? 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. The effort sparked a voter intimidation inquiry by the House Oversight Committee. 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. 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 state judge on Tuesday ordered Griffin removed from office, citing his role in having aided the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Copyright 2023 2nd Life Media AlamogordoTownNews.com. In addition Mr. Griffin sent an email to his supporters which said, If convicted of this charge I could be sentenced to a year in state prison. Pecchia said his respect for Clements evaporated one day when he saw his former teacher leading an anti-mask march through a craft market where Pecchia sold his woodworking, causing a disturbance. You can play on an old beat-out dirt lot.. Griffin recalled. The process, now underway, faces several challenges. He is still facing federal charges. The election was stolen from me, and then you just walk away? The pastors. South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty on all four counts in connection with the 2021 murders of . Both are extremely concerning and truly terrifying to say the least.. But this is also a man who beat a "Mom and Pop business" that has 5 kids out of thousands of dollars. You think that the governor hates me as a county commissioner put a gun and a badge on me, and well see.. I dont want them. He has appeared on Fox News and on Bannons podcast. 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. Couy Griffin confronts DuBois over appointment, derails meeting; Couy Griffin removed from Otero County Commission, barred from holding any future office As his zeal over election fraud heightened, other associates fell away. In all, more than 400 people were charged in the insurrection, which left five dead and dozens of officers injured. 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! A donkey named Henry brays from a side yard. ", Meantime, his barbecue business never succeeded. 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. 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. It makes me sick whenever I watch it.". However, the new evidence . I have done my best to shield and protect anyone who has supported me from the same attacks that I daily come under. C4T still also has not filed as a political action committee. "Cowboys for Trump" co-founder Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington on June 17, 2022. . Yeah. 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. 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.. "Just struggling every day with new regulations, new laws, new taxes," he said. 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. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Because I care about the truth. 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.. 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? Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings, Olivier Uyttebrouck / Journal Staff Writer. The U.S. intelligence community has continued to warn that foreign actors are probably targeting American elections. 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 . 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. "I've had my own family say. 13:00, Joe Sommerlad. This story has been shared 104,709 times. 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. Im not asking you all to storm the beaches of Normandy, to suffer a bloody death to save our republic. 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, who was born in Seattle, grew up the child of itinerant parents who worked blue-collar jobs. I wasnt charged with insurrection because the evidence to criminally charge me was not there according to the letter of the law, he said. I know they do. 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. They loved it, Harper said. The decision was made . John Block voted against job creation. Washington - The founder of the "Cowboys for Trump'' organization and commissioner of Otero County, New Mexico, Couy Griffin, was sentenced Friday to 14 days in jail, a $3,000 fine, 60 hours of . He yearns to someday run for governor even though state GOP leaders are openly scornful and Democrats hold every statewide elected office. And thats what we had.. The ruling comes after lawyers for Griffin's ex-wife, Kourtnie, filed an emergency motion in May to modify their custody and visitation agreement. New Mexicos secretary of state has also rejected the allegations. 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. 1 talking about this. The producing partners have signed a multi-year first-look development and production deal for film and TV via their Mortal Media production banner. Kourtnie served in the US military and is a war Veteran. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. "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.". "I do believe our elections were stolen," he said. Here you have Couy Griffin as Cowboys For Trump not only hiding assets from his ex-wife and son. That day, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released their report into the threat of election misinformation. In his disciplinary hearing, which Clements posted online, the university said he violated the schools covid-19 mask and vaccination policy. New . He has made baldly racist and violent statements. 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. and signed a child-support check to his ex-wife from his Cowboys for Trump account. Updated: March 23, 2022 - 2:43 PM. Mr Griffin, the founder of Cowboys for Trump, said in an interview with journalist Mr Griffin that he believed both Sicknick and Ashli Babbitt are still alive. He is awaiting trial. Griffin lost that case but still appears to have failed to follow the court order. Weve never experienced a national coup, he told the crowd, standing before red, white and blue signs strung up alongside a bingo board. 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. Im a big boy. ", "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.". Magda Jean-Louis and Alice Crites contributed to this report. Since then, Griffin has led an itinerant life. 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.. "Due to the effects of the Mexican spotted owl, our access to timber on the federal lands was restricted," he said. Griffin was convicted in federal court of entering a restricted area outside the U.S. Capitol. Ah cheer up, Chris - maybe the governor's State Police troopers can catch Couy doing an illegal lane change! He says Griffin is right about lots of things, like the need for a border wall. So..Griffin: We live in a state thats just so corrupt right now and has so much crime, and theres two of you guys out here driving around citing people for no seatbelts. And since he is still in office, he was able to push for the audit. Officer: Yep, still wasnt wearing his seatbelt. In fact, in Otero County he said they plan to conduct an election audit, looking for fraud. 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. In July. I stand before you as someone who used to be an award-winning professor, an award-winning prosecutor who is unemployed, Clements said. The first-term state representative and former Albuquerque middle school math teacher grew up in Chihuahua and has an engineering degree. 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 error was quickly corrected, but the damage was done. Officer: Im going to issue a citation for the seatbelt. Couy Griffin Net Worth Couy Griffin has an estimated Net Worth of $1Million in 2022. David and Erin Clements claimed that the states voting tabulators are insecure and miscount votes. "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.". 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. Clements was saying, Youre zombies, man. Ramie Harper, a 67-year-old former bull rider from Fruitland, took a break from making custom hats to join the caravan. Why dont you go back to Africa and form your little football teams. I take the seatbelts very serious just because the amount of crashes weve both seen.Griffin: What is it? He said the only good Democrat was a dead Democrat. Be safe.Griffin: Id be embarrassed if I was you guys.Officer: Alright. , 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. Griffin and Cowboys for Trump refused to do so and the case went to arbitration. The officers call Griffin. They say Griffin didnt partake in violence and was well within his free speech rights as he voiced election grievances and attempted to lead a prayer with a bullhorn. 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. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Griffin is presumed innocent until proven guilty. "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 . 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.. Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin is confronting a trial by jury on charges that he. 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. He says his obsession with politics has taken a toll, contributing to his 2019 divorce and tensions with relatives. The 14th Amendment bars from office anyone who once took an . Asked for comment, Erin Clements sent a video of Democratic lawmakers raising concerns about election security. FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. The Couy Griffin Interview concerning the trial can be heard following the advertisement in the KALH Radio AlamogordoTownNews.com archives as the lead story following the weather report. 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. 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. 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, 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. EXCLUSIVE: Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil are getting into business with Sony Pictures Entertainment. And it was a challenging venture into the barbecue restaurant business that he said pushed him into politics. 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. 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.. 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. 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. The countys attorney disagreed, calling the argument highly unlikely.. Their county attorney, R.B. 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. He said commissioners are expected to approve funding for that next week. He sees. Thats the battle. I can handle a lot. 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..