SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) An effort to recall the founder of Cowboys for Trump from his public office as a county commissioner can move forward, under an order Monday of the New Mexico state Supreme Court. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin has prevailed against efforts to recall him from office as a county commissioner in southern New Mexico. Griffin said he would not resign. The petition can be signed only by currently registered District 2 Otero County voters. [2] "He had as much right to due process as we do and the judge very much made it clear and afforded him that right. Griffin says he didnt directly witness violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 but believes it was perpetrated by militant leftists and not Trump supporters, contrary to extensive evidence. Griffin described the charges as frivolous and blamed county staff for providing bad guidance on travel reimbursements. Griffin is under scrutinybased on five allegations that led New Mexico Third Judicial District Judge Manuel Arrieta to find probable cause for a recall. Griffin denies allegations that he knowingly entering barricaded areas of the Capitol grounds with the intent of disrupting government as Congress considered the 2020 Electoral College results, though he openly ascribes to unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2020 election. "The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin has received the official petition to Recall Otero County District . Otero Commissioners to discuss calls for resignation of Couy Griffin on Thursday, banishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation, approximately $3,500 from a restricted donor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The Otero County Commission discussed the aftermath of Couy Griffin's statement. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Powell is representing Griffin in that case, now before the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. Griffin described Cowboys for Trump as a name brand he proudly created and still wears on shirts in public, but says his visit with Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in September 2019 was an opportunity to raise concerns about the management of federal lands in Otero County. "It is not intended for simple disagreements and so the judge having made the decision, there's a process that we must follow now and part of that is whether or not Commissioner Griffin decides to file an appeal. Among the listed causes for recall were Griffin's attendance of Otero County Commission meetings by phone rather than in person,his banishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation andthe alleged use of Otero County Commissioneroffices for personal business. "The fight is far from over," Griffin said. A successful recall election would have allowed Democratic Gov. The effort to recall Otero County District 2 Commissioner Couy Griffin failed by 345 signatures. On the 7th of January, after being part of the crowd that attacked the US Capitol grounds on 6 January (and live streaming from it), he made a video where he states "We could have a 2nd Amendment rally on those same steps where we had that rally yesterday. https://www.facebook.com/RecallCouy/videos/565453014816238. I will not be intimidated, I will not be threatened, and I sure as Hell wont back down!! "The remaining balance will be donated to a local non-partisan, non-profit in accordance with what the committee decided prior to fundraising," a news release from the Committee read. This was the most recall efforts for this point in the year since the first half of 2016, when we tracked 189 recall efforts against 265 officials. The filing also noted that Griffin inappropriately filed a travel voucher for a trip to Washington, D.C. and for allegedly violating the Gift Act when he accepted a $3,500 donation from a restricted donor to pay back the travel voucher. A probable cause determination is not a guilty verdict, rather it is a determination that the defendant most likely committed the crimes/issues alleged against him or her. 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, . Griffin says the money helped him travel to Phoenix last week for a Justice for January 6 rally. CASEY: Alleged Capitol trespasser made blood-curdling video in Star A state district court judge says an effort can move ahead to try and recall Griffin, the Cowboys for Trump founder from his seat as an Otero County commissioner on accusations of using his public office for personal gain. Griffin said he had not decided on whether to seek re-election to his seat on the Commission, saying he was entertaining different options for his political future. Recall petition begins against Cowboys for Trump founder - KRQE Griffin was elected to the three-member commission in 2018, defeating Democratic candidate Christopher S. Jones with 65% of the vote. and if we do, it's gonna be a sad day because there's gonna be blood running out of that building". Griffin is also under investigation by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office for potential criminal charges relating to the September 2019 travel voucher issue. The hearing was only to establish probable cause, in other words to determine if there wasevidence of truth to the charges alleged. The petition, filed by the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin, alleged he failed to perform his duties as an elected official by missing scheduled county meetings, failed to "exercise proper fiduciary responsibility" when he filed an improper travel voucher,violated the New Mexico Gift Act, acted in a way which resulted in a ban from the Mescalero Apache Reservation and improperly used County resources to further his work for Cowboys For Trump. The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin said Thursday in a news release that it has begun collecting signatures in efforts to scheduled a recall election. Couy Griffin recall, Otero County, New Mexico (2021) Those voters in my district are constitutional conservatives. Griffin said the allegations against him were baseless and politically motivated. Griffin was released from federal prison on Feb. 5. Griffin appealed Arrieta's ruling to the New Mexico Supreme Court which in turn affirmed the ruling. Griffin said he planned to fight the recall, though he no longer has the option to do that via the courts. And Im damn sure no quitter!!". "The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin has received the official petition to Recall Otero County District 2 CommissionerCouy Griffin today (July 1)," Committee to Recall Couy Griffin today,"spokesman Paul Sanchez said. The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin reported that only 1,229 of the 1,574 required signatures were collected from District 2 votersby theSept. 28 deadline. We proceeded and the judge found for us.". A full contingent of signatures. In a 50-minute online documentary and political origin story released in August, Griffin recounts his own travails inside a Washington, D.C., jail for nearly three weeks after his arrest in the run-up to President Joe Bidens inauguration. Couy Griffin, who was charged for breaching the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, is disappointed the former president didn't follow through on his promise to jail Hillary Clinton. Several of the allegations listed in the recall petition are among the things for which Griffin is being investigated by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office. The petition alleges that Griffin neglected and misused his position as a county commissioner while skipping public meetings and promoting a support group for President Donald Trump that Griffin treated as a for-profit business. Cowboys for Trump founder appeals recall bid to high court Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. More:Griffin gets guns back, but only at home, Although Griffin's trip to Washington, D.C. in September 2019 was initially for the proper reason of attending a regional county commissioners conference, the reason stated on a travel voucher submitted by Griffin was "meeting with President.". An effort to recall Couy Griffin (R) from his position as the District 2 representative on the Otero County Commission in New Mexico filed paperwork on March 11, 2021 District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta ruled on April 8, 2021, that the recall effort could move forward Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A state district court judge says an effort can move ahead to try and recall Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin from his seat as an Otero County commissioner on accusations of using the office for personal gain. Im really financially strained all the time. Probable cause found in Couy Griffin recall case - Alamogordo Daily News 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. He said he was accused of crimes but not convicted. After Griffin was arrested, District 1 Commissioner Gerald Matherly (R) and District 3 Commissioner Vickie Marquardt (R) called for his resignation, as did New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas (D). In the voters' hands: Couy Griffin recall petition begins circulation Griffin was accused of trespassing onto. Griffin can run for reelection in 2022, but told The Associated Press last week that hes more interested in running for sheriff in his native Catron County or governor of New Mexico some day. Only the March 11 complaint was heard in the April 8. Griffin has not been criminally charged in reference to the September 2019 travel voucher. Retired military veteran Paul Sanchez and other members of the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin are accusing Griffin of using his elected county position for personal gain. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Otherwise, Griffin is up for possible re-election in 2022 for a second, four-year term. Powell has filed a number of baseless lawsuits challenging 2020 election results and helped fund the recent Arizona election audit. 296. If Griffin is recalled from office, Democratic Gov. In 2021, a committee began circulating a petition to recall Griffin from office, accusing him of missing numerous county meetings, . The petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin began circulation on July 1. The petition needs 1,574 signatures from current Otero County District 2 voters in order to trigger a recall election. A publicly appointed defense attorney is representing Griffin in the Jan. 6 case, and Griffin says he is represented by Powell free of charge in his lawsuit against the New Mexico secretary of state. Cowboys for Trump Founder, Facing Charges in Capitol Riot, Won't Be Griffin said the allegations against him were baseless and politically motivated. They say Griffin. While Griffin was present at the hearing, he was able to answer to the allegations against him and rebut Committee To Recall CouyGriffin President Paul Sanchez. FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 31, 2020 file photo, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks in Santa Fe, N.M., during a gun rights rally. Griffin, who founded the organization Cowboys for Trump, was arrested in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, for his alleged role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. NMPED opens public comment on proposed social studies standard, New push to expand nuclear radiation compensation includes New Mexico sites, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. AlamogordoTownNews.com Special Report: Recall Couy Griffin - "It ain't Third Judicial District court Judge Manuel Arrieta determined probable cause existed to proceed with a recall lawsuit filed against Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, initiating procedures to remove Griffin from public office. Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@gannett.com, @JussGREAT on Twitter at by phone at 575-628-5531. Griffin is revered and reviled in politically conservative Otero County as he confronts criminal charges for joining protests on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. He is confronting misdemeanor criminal charges in the Jan. 6. insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and tried to lead the crowd in prayer. to stand with my fellow Americans in protest of what will one day be known as the biggest rigged election in American history.. Griffin says the film about him was put together by Trump-allied attorney Sidney Powell and her group, Defending the Republic. Griffin was accused of trespassing onto the west steps of the Capitol Building Jan. 6. ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico A political committee has begun circulating a petition to recall Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin from public office as a commissioner in Otero County. Just a small donation to get the most dangerous County Commissioner we've EVER had removed from office! Griffin deniedthe allegations claiming they were"frivolous and devoid of merit," court records state. Griffin has five calendar days to file an appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court. The recall committee is seeking final approval of its petition before it can be circulated for signatures. Change.org Covid-19 . Griffin has been rebuked by some Republicans over his racial invective. The recall effort has about 30 days inthe 90-day window to gather the required signatures. The petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin began circulation on July 1. "We are disappointed that Commissioner Griffin was not able to be here for the entire process. Click here to subscribe. Abbey Smith is a staff writer at Ballotpedia. Griffin files appeal in recall case - alamogordonews.com Bidens victory was certified by officials in each of the swing states he won and by Congress on Jan. 6 after Trumps supporters, fueled by false allegations of widespread election fraud, stormed the House and Senate chambers in a failed attempt to prevent certification of how Americans voted nationwide. Griffin was released from federal prison on Feb. 5. Otero County Clerk Robyn Holmes said the petition is due by 5 p.m. Wednesday. Griffin formed Cowboys for Trump in 2019 with a group of rodeo acquaintances, vowing to hold horseback-riding parades nationwide in support of Trump. The original civil complaint was filed March 11 with amended complaints filed March 24 and April 5 by the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin. A state district court judge this month found good cause for a recall petition, but Griffin says the hearing took place unjustly at the same time as an Otero County commission meeting where he was being pressured to resign. On Monday, June 28, the New Mexico Supreme Court affirmedthe Second Judicial District Court determination that probable cause existed in the case to recall Griffin. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A political committee has begun circulating a petition to recall Cowboys or Trump founder Couy Griffin from public office as a commissioner in Otero County. Recall supporters said Griffin had used the office for personal gain. FILE - In this May 13, 2021, file photo, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin presides at a public meeting in Alamogordo, N.M., in a shirt with a "C4T" logo that stands for Cowboys for Trump. Dan Casey. Enjoying our stories? Effort to recall Griffin from County Commission falls short Why not subscribe? Republican leads recall effort against king of Trump's cowboys Sanchez presented the allegations to Arrieta even after Griffin left the hearing. Michael E. Vigil, Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Retired military veteran Paul Sanchez and other members of the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin are accusing Griffin of using his elected county position for . Its just to help with the financial burdens of not only the legal defense, which that is part of it, but also just to survive, Griffin said of the donations. Scott Fredrick, a member of a political committee to recall Griffin, said Thursday that the effort was still about 400 registered voters shy of the 1,574 signatures needed to force an election after extensive canvassing. "On a personal level I feel that I can always do better, but generally speaking Iam pleased to know that Otero County and my district (in) particular still have a strong conservative fabric. petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, Griffin recall to begin collecting signatures on Mescalero Reservation, banishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Petition now being circulated to recall Trump cowboy from Otero - KVIA "We are grateful for this opportunity to provide the registered votersof Otero County District 2 the chance to decide if Commissioner Griffin is still the person they want to continue to represent them on the county commission as well as nationwide," Committee to Recall Couy Griffin spokesman Paul Sanchez said. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The case cannot be reheard and the "order serves as the Court's mandate returning jurisdiction to the district court,"New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts spokesman Barry Massey said. Griffinrequested for the case to be dismissed and if it was not dismissed then he filed a demand for a jury trial in the case. Griffin filed a notice of appeal Monday with the high court that contends he was deprived of due process rights and raises other jurisdictional objections. That travel voucher was approved and a check was cut to Griffin in the amount of$3,237.48. Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin, charged in the January 6 Capitol riot, will not be recalled from office as a county commissioner in New Mexico because the recall petition did not. Countless registered voters from the other Otero County districts were turned away from signing since only District 2 signatures counted for the recall effort. Contacted Monday, Griffin called the recall initiative frivolous and vowed to stand strong. Griffins term runs through 2022. Recall effort against Cowboys for Trump founder lags | AP News He sees himself . The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin said Thursday in a news release that it has begun collecting signatures in efforts to scheduled a recall election . (AP Photo/Morgan Lee), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. In the first half of 2021, Ballotpedia tracked 164 recall efforts against 262 officials. The petition has to be validated prior to a recall election taking place. Commissioner Griffin's rhetoric is only getting worse. Calls mount for Griffin's removal During his incarceration, Griffin's fellow Otero County Commissioners, New Mexico Attorney General Hector. It states his conduct resultedin his banishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation, that he used county resources for non-commission reasons namely forGriffin's political advocacy companyCowboys for Trump, filing an improper travel voucher and violating the Gift Act when he received approximately $3,500 from a restricted donor to pay back the travel reimbursement from the travel voucher. New Mexico requires a number of signatures equal to one-third of participation in the previous election. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. "The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin is very pleased that we have been found with probable cause, no less for all five of the allegations we presented.". Separately, Griffin is defending himself against criminal charges in connection with the siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Otero County Commission talks aftermath of Couy Griffin statement. All rights reserved. Time is running out for a petition drive to recall Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin from office as a county commissioner in southern New Mexico. Forinformation on the recall petition call the recall hotline 575-629-0908 or call Griffin at575-415-5782. Retired military veteran Paul Sanchez and other members of the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin are accusing Griffin of using his elected county position for personal gain. The. Griffin was arrested in Washington after vowing to take his guns to the inauguration of President Joe Biden, and has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges in connection with the siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and attempted to lead the crowd in prayer. He was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, according to the Alamogordo Daily News. Backers of the petition drive in Otero County say they still need to collect several hundred additional signatures by next Wednesday to trigger a special recall election against Griffin. Cowboys for Trump leader appeals recall bid to New Mexico - KVIA Just a small donation to get the most dangerous County Commissioner we've EVER had removed from office! SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) An effort to recall the founder of Cowboys for Trump from his public office as a county commissioner can move forward, under an order Monday of the New Mexico state Supreme Court. Cowboys for Trump founder survives county recall campaign The failed recall petition accused Griffin of failing to attend commission meetings, using his elected position for personal gain in promoting a support group for former President Donald Trump, improper travel vouchers and violating state restrictions on gifts to public officials. Only current Otero County District2 voters can sign the recall petition. Cowboys for Trump has held horseback-riding parades across the country in support of President Donald Trump. And they have criticizing Griffins pursuit of travel reimbursements from taxpayers in Otero County for a cross-country trip in 2019 that culminated in a visit with Trump at the White House. They say Griffin skipped commission meetings and used his county office space to solicit contributions to Cowboys for Trump that covered his personal expenses. In a written order, state Supreme Court justices unanimously rejected an appeal from Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin and upheld a . Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, the founder of Cowboys for Trump, discussed his past and future in politics from the porch of a tidy double-wide trailer in Tularosa, N.M., on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Those grounds arethat Griffin violated the Campaign Reporting Act, Governmental Conduct Act and that he allegedly committed embezzlement, racketeering, money laundering and making or permitting a false voucher for public funds. Supreme Court allows recall effort against Trump booster Griffin, who founded the organization Cowboys for Trump, was arrested in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, for his alleged role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
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