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Yet two independent election security experts who have examined the Clements work Susan Greenhalgh, senior adviser on election security for the nonprofit Free Speech For People, and Kevin Skoglund, president and chief technologist for the nonpartisan Citizens for Better Elections said the fraud charges are baseless and misleading. "I asked him, Mr. President, do you know where Cloudcroft, New Mexico is?" Ron DeSantis by about 15 points in a new Republican presidential poll, with newly announced candidate Nikki Haley and former Vice . It is being investigated by State Auditor Brian Coln after complaints prompted concerns about the procurement process. Griffin and Cowboys for Trump refused to do so and the case went to arbitration. You can play on an old beat-out dirt lot.. For years, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has been Donald Trump's most flamboyant supporter in New Mexico, creating spectacles and controversy in equal measure. He appeared first in Torrance County, where he led off comments at a raucous meeting. On Aug. 11, Clements and his wife presented the final findings of their audit in a special five-hour commissioners meeting, during which he got into a shouting match with the county attorney and told Holmes she should resign because it was disgusting how you fight the people. She left the meeting in tears. Mr Griffin participated in a phone interview with Anthony Lucero on Alamogordo Town News radio edition on KALHRADIO.org 95.1 FM he explained the upcoming trail from his standpoint per a link at the end of this story. Early in his life, he struggled with drugs, alcohol and an assault conviction, he has said. One recent still summer night in this tiny city on the Nebraska prairie, more than 60 people showed up at a senior citizens center to hear attorney David Clements warn of an epidemic of purported election fraud. For years, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has been Donald Trump's most flamboyant supporter in New Mexico, creating spectacles and controversy in equal measure. Griffin went to court over the seatbelt ticket where he was ordered to pay the $81 fine. "When they shut our sawmill down, it just leaves all of that useless material, if you will, in our forests which creates more fire hazards.". The Proud Boy. KOB-TV, LLC In July. And if we dont fix our country, I cant go back to that world.. Couy Griffin: All of the videos that day that show Capitol police officers opening doors, fist-bumping people coming in and beating people up and assaulting people on Capitol grounds. 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. Im not going to sit and argue with that.. He has sent out a public plea in an attempt to win in the court of public opinion, by garnering a large showing of supporters, shoulder to shoulder to appear at the Otero County Courthouse. Couy Griffin: As far as regret goes, I dont have any regret from that day. . Hes dined with Trump and Mike Lindell, the chief executive of MyPillow and high-profile election fraud conspiracist. Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin confronted a trial by jury on Tuesday on charges that he failed to register a political organisation without filing related public financial disclosures. Just weeks later, in October 2021, he was fired, by his own account, for refusing to wear a mask in class. He further stated in his plea for public support; this fight is much greater than the person of Couy Griffin. Pecchia wrote a recommendation letter for Clements for a teaching award that recognizes excellence in pre-tenure professors. Im not asking you all to storm the beaches of Normandy, to suffer a bloody death to save our republic. Griffin still wears a monogrammed Cowboys for Trump shirt to commission meetings. "But the need for the audit isn't necessarily here in Otero County. You know, and if we do, then its gonna be a sad day, because theres gonna be blood running out of that building." His 12 th-round knockout of Ilunga . But his allegiance to Trump has wavered. Distraught that Bidens victory would be validated by Congress despite the insurrection, he has said that he ran outside and fell on his knees, next to the fire pit. Neither, however, has experience running elections or formal education in voting machine systems. He also says Cowboys for Trump is a for-profit company, not a political group. 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.. Their reports on election fraud are a jumble of conspiracy theories and full of errors. Magda Jean-Louis and Alice Crites contributed to this report. So whats the solution?. But David and Erin Clements pressed on, appearing before the three-member, all-Republican Otero commission with a new target: the states June 7 primary. Couy Griffin was wanted on an arrest warrant after storming the barricades of the Capitol Jan. 6, said authorities. He grew up in Reserve, in western New Mexico, where his father ran a sawmill. All they need to do to change the system, he assured them, is to win over a handful of commission votes. 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. The group captivated the public imagination with its first outing, a 2019 flag-waving ride down the shore of the Potomac River to Arlington National Cemetery. A federal judge found Couy Griffin, a county commissioner from New Mexico and founder of the group "Cowboys For Trump," guilty on one of two counts stemming from the Capitol riot. Representing the plaintiffs are no fewer than seven attorneys listed in court records. US District Judge Trevor McFadden heard one day of testimony without a jury on Monday before handing down a verdict in the misdemeanor case against Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, a. And he boasted about his participation in the January 6 storming of the Capitol. He takes things and extrapolates them to a place that comes completely out of thin air. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican we should all want to make sure our elections are secure.. Some have. It was a complete change. "It's been such a battle," he said. He had hoped the president would address some problems with the forest near the town of Cloudcroft, which is at risk for fire. 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. It singled out fraudulent audits in Maricopa County, Ariz., and Otero County as key drivers in an effort by malicious domestic actors to erode trust in American democracy. Clements was saying, Youre zombies, man. I was to the point that, You guys arent even telling half-truths anymore,' she recalled. Griffin delivered a scathing rebuke last year as the NFL announced game-opening renditions of Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the Black national anthem. 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. David Clements urged commissioners not to perform their statutory duty to certify the results, arguing that doing so would place them in legal jeopardy because of the problems they alleged with the machines. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. Many of the comments predated the 2020 election and focused on the potential for foreign interference. "Due to the effects of the Mexican spotted owl, our access to timber on the federal lands was restricted," he said. And that was one that got me, said Brown, part of a committee seeking to recall Griffin. The need for the audit in New Mexico was more in the likes of Bernalillo County, and Sandoval County and Doa Ana County," referring to areas where President Joe Biden won the 2020 vote. 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. This decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3, and . I think that, if that would have been the case, then I would have been charged with that in the United States federal court where this case should be.. Griffin has acknowledged using the county building for promotional videos but said he never claimed they were affiliated with Otero County. Clements, who has no formal training or background in election systems, spent months crisscrossing the back roads in his home state of New Mexico in a battered Buick, trying to persuade local leaders not to certify election results. 1 talking about this. But she "did not take her minor child to war with her" as Couy Griffin is doing by taking their son to President Donald Trump campaign events during a pandemic, the attorneys said. Brittany Costello: A number of people are facing charges, including you. But luck may have run out for this cowboy pastor who rode to national political fame by embracing President Donald Trump with a series of horseback caravans and came crashing down with a defiant stand Jan. 6 against President Joe Bidens election. 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. Ramie Harper, a 67-year-old former bull rider from Fruitland, took a break from making custom hats to join the caravan. He said the only good Democrat was a dead Democrat. The pastors. I dont want them. Griffin shows hes not just an election denier, hes also a traffic ticket denier. Clementss strategy is to target his message locally: to county commissioners and clerks, jobs that are lower profile but that wield an outsize role in administering Americas decentralized election system. For now, Griffin has halted the petition with an appeal to the state Supreme Court, which hasnt decided whether to intervene. D-101-CV-2022-00473, 2022 WL 4295619 (N.M. Dist. Gun safe storage bill inches closer to governor's desk Republicans express concern over high-profile measure Republicans express concern over high-profile measure during Fridays two-hour debate. 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. And yet he remains determined. The officers call Griffin. The producing partners have signed a multi-year first-look development and production deal for film and TV via their Mortal Media production banner. Couy Griffin Wikipedia And Age. The cowboy. The 249-page lawsuit alleges that Griffin can be removed as an Otero County commissioner for violating his oath of office because the 14th Amendment states that no officeholder sworn to uphold the Constitution shall have engaged in insurrection against the same, according to the suit. 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 won last year. "I've had my own family say. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin confronted a trial by jury Tuesday on charges that he failed to register a political organization without filing related public financial disclosures. Mr Griffin, a county official in Otero County, New Mexico, added that the aftermath of the election had added to difficulties with relatives and his divorced wife. 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. Youre zombies, Pecchia recalled. He had a son with her, who currently lives with her. They also alleged that unnamed bad actors massively manipulated voter registration rolls, allowing people to illicitly vote in the last presidential election. Mr. Griffin has opted to be defended by a public defender for this case with home court advantage. For all his bombast and showmanship, Griffin's fortunes and conviction seem to be waning. The donut shop has announced it has closed its South Valley and Northeast Heights locations. Where I need peoples support is to show up and stand shoulder to shoulder in Alamogordo for this trial. My heart filled and I heard, We are going to win. . Make them go away. , One woman told him she and others in her county were planning to have a days-long outdoor slumber party near her countys one ballot drop-box before the November election to guard it from being stuffed with ballots a fear propagated by the debunked film 2000 Mules.. The arbitrator, who was chosen by Griffin and Cowboys for Trump, found for the Secretary of State's Office. Just this week, Griffins attorneys filed new motions on his behalf one demanding evidence and another claiming his charges are politically motivated. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Couy Griffin, Cowboys for Trump founder and Otero County commissioner, was arrested last year for his . 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. Im asking you all to consider showing up to an air-conditioned building, organizing, opening your mouth and saying: These machines suck. However, the new evidence . Republican primary candidates embracing Trumps stolen election rhetoric have flourished this year. The first-term county commissioner forged a group of rodeo acquaintances in 2019 into a promotional Cowboys for Trump posse to spread his conservative message about gun rights, immigration controls and abortion restrictions. The folksy origin story might have helped his successful 2018 run for county commissioner but once in office Griffin amplified violence and bigotry. White v. Griffin, No. "There have already been three audits," including one by the Secretary of State's office and another by an independent contractor. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. Griffin plans to ride the charges out to trial, claiming theres more than meets the eye. The New Mexico Supreme Court denied an appeal from former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin in the case that removed him from office based on his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. He said commissioners are expected to approve funding for that next week. By March, volunteers organized by David and Erin Clements calling themselves the New Mexico Audit Force were going door to door in Otero County asking citizens about how they voted in 2020. 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. Griffin recalled. Ah cheer up, Chris - maybe the governor's State Police troopers can catch Couy doing an illegal lane change! and signed a child-support check to his ex-wife from his Cowboys for Trump account. Ex-NBA Champ Shares Screenshot of Soccer League's Ridiculous Question for His Son - He's Fuming . Defiance of federal government and its oversight of public lands are staples of politics in Otero County, which spans an area three times the size of Delaware, from the dunes of White Sands National Park to the peaks of the Lincoln National Forest. 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 . Yeah.Officer: So if you want to waste our time here.. After the officer hands him the ticket, Griffin still gets in a parting shot. "I wanted to go from just being a voice to having a vote.". Updated: March 23, 2022 - 2:43 PM. Hed like to reinvent the sheriffs role as a brake on the governors power. And yet he remains determined. We've received your submission. "There's no absolutely no reason for this," she said. Here you have Couy Griffin as Cowboys For Trump not only hiding assets from his ex-wife and son. "Just struggling every day with new regulations, new laws, new taxes," he said. 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 . "Never have. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Skier Shiffrin locks up overall title, still chases, Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games gets off to, 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado,, Mikal Bridges helps Nets rally to stun Celtics, 115-105, NASCAR star Elliott has leg surgery after snowboard, New images surface of Couy Griffin at Capitol insurrection, Report: Couy Griffin denies COVID test, delaying potential release hearing, Should we bring back the dodo? "I don't think there's any more productive way to spend tax dollars than to make sure our elections aren't compromised," he told an Otero County Commission meeting in January. The error was quickly corrected, but the damage was done. 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. I have done my best to shield and protect anyone who has supported me from the same attacks that I daily come under. A donkey named Henry brays from a side yard. The election was stolen from me, and then you just walk away? Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings, Olivier Uyttebrouck / Journal Staff Writer. With the pickup still running, the state cop walks back to his patrol car and notes to his partner.. 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.. Couy Griffin Griffin, who was convicted of a federal misdemeanor in March for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, is representing himself in the lawsuit, which. John Block voted against job creation. And thats what we had.. Because I care about the truth. Otero County commissioners in July rejected Griffins request for taxpayer-funded legal representation in the lawsuit. My mom worked at Kmart and Lowes, my dad bagged groceries, he said. The New Mexico attorney general investigated embattled former Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys For Trump founder Couy Griffin for using C4T funds for personal use and taking official acts as commissioner for his personal gain. That day, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released their report into the threat of election misinformation. Griffin said hes been offered two plea deals, which he has turned down. That is what our motive and our focus has to be. Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin confronted a trial by jury Tuesday on charges that he failed to register a political organization without filing related public financial disclosures. EXCLUSIVE: Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil are getting into business with Sony Pictures Entertainment. This is a nonpartisan issue, Griffin said in an interview. In all, more than 400 people were charged in the insurrection, which left five dead and dozens of officers injured. But in a recent interview in Alamogordo, Griffin was determined to keep fighting for Trump, despite the audit's problems, plus the charges he faces for his role in the Capitol attack, financial difficulties and a profound disappointment in the former president himself. Citizens hurled insults at leaders voting for certification, calling them cowards, traitors to our country and rubber stamp puppets.. In what he described as a mission, he traveled on horseback from San Francisco to New York, and then across Europe and the Mediterranean to Jerusalem, arriving in 2008 after more than two years on the road. I take the seatbelts very serious just because the amount of crashes weve both seen.Griffin: What is it? Theyre trying to make it look like I was part of an insurrection in Washington, D.C., and insurrection is a criminal charge, Griffin said Friday in a phone interview. A state judge on Tuesday ordered Griffin removed from office, citing his role in having aided the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. New Mexicos secretary of state has also rejected the allegations. South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty on all four counts in connection with the 2021 murders of . Cowboys for Trump still owes the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office $7,800 in fines. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said that her office was working to ensure the process does not compromise the "security and integrity" of the tabulating machines used in the elections. And yet he remains determined. "The reports that we've subsequently seen put out by these people have been riddled with falsehoods," she said. The allegations against CPAC chief Matt Schlapp. De-extinction is a, Roundhouse Roundup: Paramilitary rules, youth parole, Rio Bravo Park cleanup will take longer than expected, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Restaurants still struggling to recover from COVID, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, State basketball tournament: Girls first round recap, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Local casino hosts National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, UNM police arrest man for giving false ID, fleeing, Man connected to political shootings to stay behind, Whats happening around New Mexico Mar. Griffin has suggested that voting machines provided by Dominion Voting Systems across New Mexico could have been hacked. "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.". Clements, who was born in Seattle, grew up the child of itinerant parents who worked blue-collar jobs. A Hubbard Broadcasting Company, said he never entered the Capitol building. 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! The believer. She said in an online press conference that she feared, "a scenario where the tabulators would instantly become, you know, questionable, and we would have to completely take them out of serviceIt's just a really scary, unfortunate and nonsensical situation. Trump won there in 2020 with 73% of the vote. Im a child of the trailer park. 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. A document that David Clements claims shows a failure to update voter check-in machines for 11 years is inaccurate, since the state uses a different check-in system, the secretary of states office said. Griffin has acknowledged using the county building for promotional videos but said he never claimed they were . "And I really thought that the president was going to come through on his end, and unfortunately, he never did. They want to destroy our country, Griffin said in a video monologue. A jury will consider this week whether the support group . A recent report from congressional Democrats on election misinformation highlighted Clementss activities and concluded that the greatest current threat to democratic legitimacy now comes from lies by domestic actors who seek to convince Americans that their election systems are fraudulent, corrupt, or insecure., New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who has clashed repeatedly with Clements and his wife, said the misinformation and disinformation were being seeded as core beliefs, not just with elected officials but the general public.. That happened Tuesday in New Mexico when a state judge disqualified Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin from holding public office. They loved it, Harper said. Who is going to break whose will? Clements said. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin is confronting a trial by jury on charges that he. 70 202 Their additional three locations remain open. Each played a role on Jan 6. Pull him out of his pick-up, take him to the ground, and charge him with resisting arrest! The lawsuit contends that Griffin violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits officeholders sworn to uphold the Constitution from engaging in an insurrection against the U.S. government. A disdain for central government set in early, when conservation laws affected the family business. TULAROSA, N.M. He rodeoed in a Buffalo Bill-style Wild West show, carried his message on horseback from the Holy Land to Times Square and was invited to the White House to meet the president. Couy Griffin and his horse grift America. In his disciplinary hearing, which Clements posted online, the university said he violated the schools covid-19 mask and vaccination policy. The language, known as the disqualification clause, is part of a Civil War-era constitutional amendment intended to bar former Confederates from holding state or federal offices. I come to you as someone who had a future. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Olivier Uyttebrouck / Journal Staff Writer , 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. FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. Ct. Sept. 6, 2022) [hereinafter Griffin . It sounds good and people believe it because it sounds authoritative if you dont know much.. However he is on probation from the guilty verdict related to the participant and in the capital events of January 6th thus the stakes are now significantly higher. He sees. Anti-vaxxers quickly embraced Clements, with far-right Colorado podcaster Joe Oltmann creating an online fundraiser for him and calling him a lightning rod of truth and courage. The appeal has since brought in more than $304,000 in donations, including from donors who say they support his election integrity crusade. Sledgehammers! a woman at the back of the room yelled out. Authors of the brief include Laurence Tribe, a professor emeritus of constitutional law at Harvard, and Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law. Griffin lists himself as manager of Cowboys for Trump. Alice Fordham joined the news team in 2022 after a career as an international correspondent, reporting for NPR from the Middle East and later Latin America and Europe. Copyright 2023 2nd Life Media AlamogordoTownNews.com. And something happened. Investigators said the investigation was launched after Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver referred her investigation into Griffins refusal to register C4T as a political committee and disclose donors and expenses.