On Monday, the Supreme Court denied the petition of a former county commissioner from New Mexico who was removed from office due to his involvement in the US Capitol uprising on January 6, 2021. Couy Griffin, a former commissioner from Otero County and a cowboy preacher who gained national attention for his horse-drawn caravans endorsing then-President Trump, is the first elected figure to be barred from office as a result of the Capitol assault. During a 2022 state district court hearing, Griffin was found in violation of a 14th Amendment clause that forbade former Confederates from holding public office, marking the first instance of such a disqualification from office in more over a century.
Despite last month's Supreme Court decision holding that states cannot exclude Trump or other federal office candidates from being on the ballot, the justices said that state and local candidates are subject to separate regulations, according to the AP. The justices concluded in an unsigned ruling that "States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office." Griffin's case might have a positive impact on attempts to hold other municipal and state authorities responsible for the assault on January 6. Griffin, a Republican, was sentenced to 14 days in jail after a federal court found him guilty of breaking into a restricted location on the Capitol grounds on January 6.
Griffin claims that on January 6, he went into the Capitol grounds without realizing that they were a restricted area. He then tried to use a bullhorn to lead a gathering in prayer without resorting to violence. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics brought the charges of insurrection against Griffin on behalf of three New Mexico individuals. The organization has presented evidence supporting the need to look into the actions of many state lawmakers who traveled to Washington on January 6.
Despite last month's Supreme Court decision holding that states cannot exclude Trump or other federal office candidates from being on the ballot, the justices said that state and local candidates are subject to separate regulations, according to the AP. The justices concluded in an unsigned ruling that "States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office." Griffin's case might have a positive impact on attempts to hold other municipal and state authorities responsible for the assault on January 6. Griffin, a Republican, was sentenced to 14 days in jail after a federal court found him guilty of breaking into a restricted location on the Capitol grounds on January 6.
Griffin claims that on January 6, he went into the Capitol grounds without realizing that they were a restricted area. He then tried to use a bullhorn to lead a gathering in prayer without resorting to violence. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics brought the charges of insurrection against Griffin on behalf of three New Mexico individuals. The organization has presented evidence supporting the need to look into the actions of many state lawmakers who traveled to Washington on January 6.
