District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta on Thursday, April 8, 2021, ruled in favor of a group of recall petitioners who say that Griffin had repeatedly abused his authority and should be subject to a recall election this year. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. However, New Mexico State Auditor Brian Colon said the funds, donated to Griffin by G.B. 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. He said he was accused of crimes but not convicted. Those voters in my district are constitutional conservatives. 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. Dan Casey. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The petition has to be validated prior to a recall election taking place. 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. In a written order, state Supreme Court justices unanimously rejected an appeal from Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin and upheld a lower court ruling that found adequate reasons for voters to circulate a recall petition. In 2021, a committee began circulating a petition to recall Griffin from office, accusing him of missing numerous county meetings, . 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. 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. [2] If you agree that he needs to go, please like the @RecallCouyGriffin FB page. 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. Bill) Richardson appointed judge in Manuel Arrieta," Griffin said in an email April 7. The petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin began circulation on July 1. 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. petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, Second Judicial District Court determination that probable cause, banishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation, Griffin is being investigated by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. A successful petition with enough signatures would trigger a special election vote on whether Griffin can finish his four-year term in office. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. He is also awaiting trialon charges ofknowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authorityfor his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. "We are still striving to get the signatures by Sept. 8in order to get the recall initiative on the November ballot instead of a special election," a press release from to recall effort states. Im glad that I went on that day. Federal prosecutors have offered Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin a plea agreement over charges that he illegally entered barricades during the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on January. 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. Griffin was released from federal prison on Feb. 5. 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. You know, they believe in individual freedoms and individual liberties. Griffin has not been criminally charged in reference to the September 2019 travel voucher. 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 recall petition fell shy, with about one-quarter as time ran out on Wednesday. Of a reported $5,000 collected, $300 remain in the Committees coffers. All rights reserved. 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. ", More:New push to expand nuclear radiation compensation includes New Mexico sites, The signatures collected represent "78% of what was required," the Committee post read and "26% of the total votes cast in District Two during the last election.". 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. This ruling said the process of recalling Griffin from his elected office, a decision first assertedApril 8 byThird Judicial District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta, may proceed. Once the recall petitions are signed by the lower court justice who initially approved them, recall supporters will be given 90 days to collect 1,574 signatures to get the recall on the ballot. 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. 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. They say Griffin. "The fight is far from over," Griffin 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. I myself wear Jan. 6 as a badge of honor, Griffin says in the film, infused with orchestral tones. "We are disappointed that Commissioner Griffin was not able to be here for the entire process. Officials at the Otero County clerks office were unavailable Monday to confirm requirements and deadlines in the recall drive. 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. The Committee was given a 90-day window to collect the required statutory 33.3% of signatures by New Mexico Third Judicial District Judge Manuel Arrieta, after Griffin's appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court failed. Griffin was present at the hearing for for about 45 minutesbefore he excused himself and returned to the Otero County Commission meeting. Griffin is fighting for his political future amid a recall initiative and state probes into his finances. Separately, Griffin is defending himself against criminal charges in connection with the siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Griffin deniedthe allegations claiming they were"frivolous and devoid of merit," court records state. 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. 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. Griffin has five calendar days to file an appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court. This story has been updated with a statement from Couy Griffin and more information about the recall process. Enjoying our stories? 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. [1] Recall supporters filed paperwork on March 11, 2021. "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. Otero County Clerk Robyn Holmes said the petition is due by 5 p.m. Wednesday. Why not subscribe? I believe the people in my district still believe in Conservative values and individual rights and freedoms and I believe that if this recall comes to vote, thatpoint will be proved.". 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. A successful recall election would have allowed Democratic Gov. Representatives from the Otero County Clerk's Office were at the hearing, including attorney Daniel Ivey-Soto who was appearing on behalf of the County Clerk' Office. The second amended complaint against Griffin is 141 pages long and alleges failed to meet his duties as a public servant, including missing regular Otero County meetings. Griffin has called those allegations frivolous, baseless and politically motivated. ", Get caught up:Otero Commissioners to discuss calls for resignation of Couy Griffin on Thursday. Griffin was accused of trespassing onto. 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. Griffin also is challenging directives by state election regulators to register Cowboys for Trump as a political committee, arguing that financial disclosures would subject contributors to harassment. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. I mean, how much bigger representation can you bring to Otero County? Griffin said. 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. The recall is one of several legal battles which Griffin finds himself in, including a federal trespassing chargefor which he was arrested on Jan. 18. 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. We proceeded and the judge found for us.". Contact us at editor@ballotpedia.org. Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@gannett.com, @JussGREAT on Twitter at by phone at 575-628-5531. Commissioner Griffin's rhetoric is only getting worse. 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. 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.". 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 hearing continued for about an hour after Griffin exited the hearing. 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. 1 of 2. The petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin began circulation on July 1. Griffin's motion for dismissal was heard in theApril 8 recall hearing and denied. Forinformation on the recall petition call the recall hotline 575-629-0908 or call Griffin at575-415-5782. Griffin said the allegations against him were baseless and politically motivated. Commissioner Griffin's rhetoric is only getting worse. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. "The committee to recall Couy Griffin is hopeful that this effort has shined a light on local politicians and their actions while in office. More:Griffin recall to begin collecting signatures on Mescalero Reservation. New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Vigil on June 28 affirmed a lower courts ruling to allow an effort to recall Couy Griffin (R) from his position as the District 2 representative on the Otero County Commission to move forward. 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. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin has filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court as he seeks to fend off an effort to recall him from office as a county commissioner in southern New Mexico. "I would rather these allegation brought forward be heard from a group of peers rather than a (former Gov. Visit us at Ballotpedia.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Separately, Griffin is confronting federal charges in connection with the U.S. Capitol siege on Jan. 6, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and attempted to lead a prayer. If allowed, a recall petition against Griffin with a sufficient number of signatures could trigger a special election within months. Only the March 11 complaint was heard in the April 8. 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. Any person who makes statements like these does not have any place in Otero County Politics, no less an elected office. And Im damn sure no quitter!!". 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. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin presides at a public meeting in Alamogordo, N.M., on Thursday, May 13, 2021, in a shirt with a "C4T" logo that stands for Cowboys for Trump. Griffin is reviled and revered in politically conservative Otero County as he confronts criminal charges for joining protests on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. For the recall to proceed, Arrieta must sign the petition to recall, triggering a 90 day deadline for the Recall Committee to get the required signatures. Recall supporters did not collect enough signatures by the deadline on September 28, 2021. 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. 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. The Otero County Clerk's Office, although not a participant in the recall proceedings, is interested to ensure that, if a recall is triggered, it is done in an orderly and clear fashion "so the voters are clear on the process," Ivey-Soto said. If we quit we lose. A public fundraising effort to benefit Griffin is underway through the online crowdsource platform GiveSendGo that has raised at least $41,500 including a $10,000 anonymous donation and gifts as small as $5. Only the March 11 complaint was heard in the April 8 recall hearing. The recall effort has about 30 days inthe 90-day window to gather the required signatures. They say Griffin skipped commission meetings and used his county office space to solicit contributions to Cowboys for Trump that covered his personal expenses. 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. Change.org Covid-19 1422. "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 recall complaint listed five allegations against Griffin that are also listed on the petition. https://www.facebook.com/RecallCouy/videos/565453014816238. 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. 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. It was unclear how soon the state Supreme Court will decide whether to intervene. "I want every person to have confidence in my representation," Griffin said. 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.
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