On Wednesday in Alamogordo, a jury of twelve in the state District Court found former Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin not guilty of skirting New Mexico campaign laws.
According to the Associated Press, “State prosecutors accuse Griffin of a misdemeanor violation of failing to register as a political group, which is punishable by up to a year in prison and an additional $1,000 fine.”
Griffin told the AP, “All I wanted to do was speak on behalf of an ‘America First’ agenda, which should all be protected under the First Amendment,” adding, “I don’t want the state of New Mexico to know who has supported Cowboys for Trump. It’s about protecting donors.”
The court case came after arbitration between Griffin and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office resulted in demands he registers the group as a political committee despite it not falling within that scope and ordered fines of $7,800.
After the verdict, Griffin wrote on Twitter, “This trial was a great example of how our judicial system is supposed to work. We could get away from the weaponized system, from the radicalized activists that sit on the bench, and we do that by jury trials.”
“Thank you for following along, thank you for your support, and this fight’s just getting started. We’re gonna get lots more wins from here on out.”
Griffin has battled in courtrooms in Washington, D.C., and in Santa Fe, where he has not been judged by his peers until now. He noted after his court victory on Wednesday that his previous cases were in front of leftist judges and/or juries, such as in Washington. D.C., where he claims it is “95 percent” Democrat.
DC is predominantly Leftist. In 2016, Democrats were like 75% of registered voters.
Having meet Couy Griffin, he’s about as bright as a box of rocks. I think he would make a Chair of the NM Rebulican party.
Says a halfwit named Zak.
AGREE!! NM seems to breed them!
Agree Charlie
New movie- Blockback Mountain- Gay cowboys for Trump with John Block and Couy Griffin as the Stars. Charlie- you can be an extra or a stunt double.
Most of you leaving comments are intent on just tearing down people instead of celebrating that finally justice won. Couy was fighting for first amendment rights. the Soros-backed NM AG and SoS wanted to tear down any organization that disagrees with their agenda. If you are unwilling to look past differences of opinion then you all are just as much a box of rocks as those you accuse. Wake up and pay attention to the NM government that is tearing down our values for their agenda. You are being part of the problem.
yep.
Right on Stephanie! We need to hold together to end the Dem’s one party rule and wonton destruction of NM.
Says someone on a rightwing partisan website….Really almost all the comments, across all the “news stories” here, are not solution based but attacks and insults.
And people wonder why there is so much crime. If politicians don’t respect the law, how can we expect anyone to.
I cant believe it..now hes left to cause more trouble .i cant believe anyone in there right mind would back him up .shame shame ..ges the civil war starter..hes not out to help our country . Not at all, just a smarta–that starts trouble.. can not believe he won. .thats the good fake he is
Praise God. Romans 8:35-39. Thank you Jesus. God bless Couy
I agree with Stephanie, cutting people down does not help NM. Some things are better kept in your head in order to make things happen. NM leadership is so messed up. We have Soros steering Santa Fe and DC into a deep dark hole. This is why Couy had to fight. Let’s find things we agree on (which sometimes is very little) and work to get NM back on the right track. If we jab at folks because we disagree with them, then the Socialist win, their job is to divide us, make us fight among ourselves in order for them to take our state into Socialism and then our Nation. Do not wait until it is too late. I suggest be part of the solution not the problem.
Yes Mike
Congratulations Couy for successfully standing up for your 1st Amendment rights. Keep up the good fight!
Hey Zak you might want to proof read before you reply. Having “meet”?
Who’s the dumb one?
Spelling mistakes mistakes aside, having attended several online Otero County Commission, Mr. Griffin in not someone who I believe should hold office, elected or otherwise. Knowledge of process was anecdotal and reactionary and ability to move beyond a limited platform, which is necessary for governing, was not present.
He held up the NM Laws. You may want to review them. Instead of taking our rights away. Follow the NM Constitution.
I feel like I’m back in middle school. Zac calling names. Franco making gay jokes. If you don’t like who’s elected, vote them out. Complain, but how about some context. Couy was improperly prosecuted for Jan 6. He ne er entered the capital. Then he got bounced from the county commission, mainly because liberals couldn’t get him voted out. Now when he’s acquitted you want to call him names? US politics on. Both sides has become pretty pitiful. Maybe started with Trump, but our current President laughing about teens dying from Fetanyl overdoses while saying we don’t have a problem, doesn’t help. We need to grow up and get our shit together as a nation.
Until we straighten out our voting system and guarantee free and fair elections then we have no chance of resolving our differences. With the computerized machines of today cheating is just a line of code away. The rationale of using these were “rapid tabulation of results” but all I see is delays of the final count, boxes of “found ballots” days after polls close.
So I offer a few options:
#1 – purge voter rolls -take out the dead, the ones who have moved to other counties or states.
#2 – MANDATORY STATE ISSUED VOTER I.D. FOR U.S. CITIZENS ONLY
#3 – MANDATORY JAIL
10 YEARS FOR FRAUD
#4 – NO MAIL-IN BALLOT
except for active duty military
#5 – NO same day registration or automatic registration at MVD, ISD
#6 – paper ballots ONLY
#7 – NO early voting (except for #4) polls open 7am – 7pm & if you are in line at closing time you get to vote.
#8 – poll watchers from all parties will monitor the election and handling of ballots. Additionally, there will be video surveillance with many cameras as well as armed National Guard troops to insure the care and protection of ballots.
The same protections will be observed during the HAND COUNTING OF BALLOTS. All observers and guards will sign off on the count totals atop sealed ballot boxes, which will be securely preserved. All security videos will be tied into a central video system, broadcast on PBS and the original will be preserved in a secure location.
If you think our elections are secure then you should have no objection to further securing our election process and insuring only legal citizens vote. Personally, I believe our elections have been tampered with for years, and changes in the system – ranked choice voting, mail-in ballots, ballot harvesting and Dominion machines have all been to facilitate the theft of our Republic.
Without changes to insure the security and honesty of our elections the divisions and mistrust in our society will only widen.
Well said, Rick Smith and spot on.
Our hyphenated governor (and our hyphenated Secretary of State) are out to teach New Mexicans a lesson about what happens when you cross them. They will hound you relentlessly over any technicalities they can dig up.
Meanwhile the queen of the Sante Fe ring clutches her pearls and asks “Crisis? What crisis?!”
By the way, has anybody seen Senator Heinrich? Anybody? This vacant suit is pretty good at hauling ass out of whatever town he momentarily pops up in… before anybody finds out he’s there. A veritable master at avoiding his constituents.