New Mexico: Trump Ally Banned From Holding Office for January 6 Participation

By Rick Martin First Posted: Sep 06, 2022 09:59 PM EDT

Cowboys for Trump co-founder and controversial former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin cannot hold any public office anymore. That is the ruling of New Mexico District Court Judge Francis Mathew, as he permanently bans the Trump ally from ever holding public office due to his involvement in the January 6 Capitol insurrection last year.

The ban is not just for local public office in New Mexico or Griffin's home Otero County, but it also bars him from federal positions such as a member of the House, Senate, or running for the presidency.

According to the Associated Press, the ruling may also affect other Trump allies linked to January 6, as several lawsuits aimed to disqualify many of them due to their participation in an attempted insurrection.

In his decision, Judge Matthew wrote "Mr. Griffin aided the insurrection even though he did not personally engage in violence." He said that by joining the mob and trespassing on Capitol grounds, he contributed to the delay of Congress's election-certification proceedings.

The decision also removes Griffin from his office as Otero County Commissioner. Otero County staff notified the Cowboys for Trump co-founder that he had been removed from office, and barred him from accessing his work computer and office space inside the county building in Alamogordo.

14^th Amendment Invoked in Cuoy Griffin Disqualification

The judgment against Griffin used an often-forgotten clause in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution that disqualifies any person who participated in an insurrection from holding public office.

According to a report by the Washington Post, the last time an elected official was disqualified from public office by using that clause from the 14th Amendment was in 1869. This means that this is the first time in over a century that somebody has been barred from public office due to the 14^th Amendment.

MSNBC noted that the 14th Amendment was not used much after the Civil War, as elected officials in the United States often did not support insurrections against their own country. However, this all changed with the January 6 Capitol Insurrection as several right-wing officials are facing similar challenges to their eligibility due to their participation in former President Donald Trump's attempted coup.

Who is Cuoy Griffin?

Cuoy Griffin is one of Donald Trump's biggest allies in the state of New Mexico, and is also the co-founder of the Cowboys for Trump movement, as well as being one of the people who stormed the Capitol during the events of January 6, 2021. He was ultimately convicted by a federal court and sentenced to 14 days in prison for trespassing.

However, he became more notable when he ignored a court order to certify the results of a local primary election, following conspiracy theories and relied on intuition rather than use hard facts and evidence.

The former Otero County Commissioner espoused debunked conspiracy theories about the election being stolen, among many others. He maintained that he had the right to do so, invoking freedom of speech as his legal defense.

As co-founder of Cowboys for Trump, Griffin staged horseback parades in solidarity with former President Donald Trump, spreading conservative messages on various issues, such as gun rights and immigration.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Judge removes lawmaker from office for January 6th participation - CNN