In a written closing statement in court, he had argued that he had been at the Capitol to lobby vice president Mike Pence to not certify the election results, and that, In no way does that pertain to nor support insurrection/rebellion, reported the Albuquerque Journal. It would be helpful if they would take this opportunity to rule really for the first time what Section 3 means.. I lived a life devoted to the Lord, Griffin said. Griffin said in a text message that he felt blessed to be judged by a jury of peers in his home community and has never felt as vindicated. According to a court document, he wrote on Twitter that District Judge Trevor McFaddens PRE written response announcing the verdict was pathetic! The answer to that was yes, as the clip then segued into an interview with Babbitt's brother, Roger Witthoeft who described how close the siblings had been and how he was dealing with her loss. When McFadden posed a boilerplate question about whether Griffin had taken drugs or alcohol the accused Capitol rioter said he'd had a couple beers the night before. The judge heard testimony Monday from three government witnesses. He is among only three riot defendants who have asked for a bench trial, which means a judge will decide his case without a jury. Instead, Griffinwho previously served as a preacher at a "cowboy church"crossed barriers to reach an area outside the building where he used a bullhorn to lead the crowd of former President Donald Trump's enraged supporters in prayer. Ahead of the trial, McFadden rejected Griffin's claim that he was politically targeted. Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge At a stop in The Woodlands, Texas, on Jan. 1, 2021, the ruling said, Mr. Griffin urged a crowd to view the attempts to overturn the election as a last-ditch fight, comparing it to the famous standoff at the Alamo. "I mean, who's to say that was have you seen anything of any of her family?" A Senate Judiciary Committee report stated that Mastriano and his wife took part in the January 6 insurrection, with video footage confirming that they passed through breached barricades and police lines at the U.S. Capitol. (Mastriano has said he never entered the Capitol itself, and he has been charged with no crimes.). Military Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin sentenced for trespassing The New Mexico county commissioner said he merely went to the Capitol to pray with protesters By Tom Jackman and. Nicholas Smith, a lawyer who represented him during his criminal trial, declined to comment. What I was a part of was a peaceful protest where I joined shoulder-to-shoulder with like-minded patriots who have concerns about election integrity. Couy Griffin, a 48-year-old Republican elected official from Alamogordo, N.M., and founder of a pro-Donald Trump grass-roots group, had challenged U.S. prosecutors to prove Pence's whereabouts. His advisory sentencing guideline range for the misdemeanor conviction was zero to six months. Last year, Griffin insisted that "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat" and called on Trump to "hang" his opponents for their "Treasonous Acts." A month after Griffin's trial, McFadden acquitted a New Mexico engineer of misdemeanor charges. According to a court document, Griffin tweeted after the trial that the media has tried to make me look like the biggest loser the last couple days. Speaking to another crowd, he called on men from across our nation to come to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, because it might be a battle.. Couy Griffin on Trial: A Tale of Two Realities Prosecutors called Matthew Struck, who traveled with Griffin to Washington, DC, and recorded videos of him on January 6. Frankly, I think thats completely legitimate, the judge said. Big Tech news and how to take control of your data and devices, Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin sentenced for trespassing, What the Jan. 6 probe found out about social media, but didnt report, Social Security numbers of Trump officials, allies posted in Jan. 6 files, Jan. 6 report recommends Congress ban Trump from running again, To become an Amazon Clinic patient, first you sign away some privacy, How Mark Zuckerberg broke Metas workforce, Elon Musk describes Starship flight as roughly what I expected, Jan. 6 committee released its final report, analysis about the committees new findings and conclusions, On Jan. 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, close to penetrating the inner sanctums of the building. He is out there, he still believes this stuff. An online fundraiser for Griffin has also raised nearly $50,000. He acknowledged that Griffin was not criminally convicted of insurrection and there is no evidence that Griffin engaged in violence himself. . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The judge in the case, District Judge Francis J. Mathew, was unsparing in ruling that Griffin is disqualified from office. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. After his arrest, Griffin was initially ordered held without bond, in part because he said on a video he would return to Washington for the inauguration of Joe Biden and theres going to be blood running out of that building. He was released 20 days later, in part because he might be awaiting trial longer than the maximum six-month misdemeanor sentence he faced. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Behind US recruitment woes, Joes risky alternative strategy and other commentary, Pence testifies for 7 hours before Jan. 6 grand jury after Trumps bid to block him fails, Former Rep. Liz Cheney to publish book warning of Trump threat, Capitol rioter who crushed officer with shield gets 7 years, a political committee called Cowboys for Trump. When asked whether he and Griffin had decided it would be "inappropriate" to enter the Capitol building, Struck replied, "I don't think we discussed that.". The actions and statements youve taken since then are in tension with that oath, the judge said. At Griffins sentencing Friday, McFadden noted the tension between Griffins professed remorse in the courtroom and his numerous public statements after his conviction. But the jury wasn't persuaded. While the decision of a state court isnt binding elsewhere, New York Universitys Daniel Hemel noted, it could embolden similar efforts to disqualify people from office with more direct ties to the insurrection up to and including Trump. 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Updated: 6:15 PM EDT June 17, 2022. Sign up for notifications from Insider! In court testimony, State Elections Director Mandy Vigil said that state regulators typically negotiate with political groups to encourage registration without seeking sanctions. But the judge greenlighted a request from Griffin's defense lawyers to question a Secret Service agent about a lingering question around the events of January 6: the location of then-Vice President Mike Pence. Thanks for contacting us. He said he was leading the group in prayer. . By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Plenty of history very bad history was made on Jan. 6, 2021. Separately on Friday, an Indiana man pleaded guilty to carrying a loaded handgun and assaulting police with a stolen baton in the Capitol breach. In 2019, Griffin forged a group of rodeo acquaintances into the promotional group called Cowboys for Trump, which staged horseback parades to spread President Donald Trumps conservative message about gun rights, immigration controls and abortion restrictions. At the same time, Griffins conviction was for misdemeanor trespassing, for which he was sentenced to 14 days and a $3,000 fine. McFadden is so far the only judge on the Washington, DC, federal trial court who has acquitted a January 6 defendant on all charges. I wonder who wrote it?. An appeals court ruled in May that participants in an insurrection against the U.S. government could be barred from holding office, but the target of that case, Representative Madison Cawthorn, Republican of North Carolina, had already lost his primary, rendering the matter essentially moot. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The ruling declared the Capitol assault an insurrection and unseated Couy Griffin, a commissioner in New Mexicos Otero County and the founder of Cowboys for Trump, who was convicted earlier this year of trespassing when he breached barricades outside the Capitol during the attack. 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As a strategic matter, Im skeptical that disqualification under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is the best way or even a productive way to fight back against anti-democratic forces across the country, Hemel said. Most of these cases fizzled quickly, and none have succeeded. A January 6-related trial began Monday in the case of "Cowboys for Trump" founder Couy Griffin. Griffin is charged with two misdemeanors: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. The judge said Griffins many defenses were not credible, and nor was his summary of his role on Jan. "I'm . He also took part in a multicity bus tour arranged by the pro-Trump group Women for America First designed to recruit protesters to go to Washington for Mr. Trumps speech on Jan. 6, in which the president called on his supporters to fight like hell against his election loss and urged them to march to the Capitol while Congress was meeting to confirm it. Indeed, in allowing Greene to remain in office, a judge had emphasized there was no evidence to show that Rep. Greene participated in the Invasion itself or communicated with or issued directives to persons who engaged in the Invasion. Griffin was much easier to tie directly to the insurrection, and he has now been found to have directly engaged in it. Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin was reportedly offered a plea deal on Monday regarding charges related to his alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. Prosecutors also pointed to more recent social media posts and statements in which Griffin appeared to mock his March guilty verdict and display a lack of contrition for the Capitol attack, underscoring how January 6 defendants have talked themselves into deeper trouble amid their criminal proceedings.
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