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. Im really financially strained all the time. If Griffin is recalled from office, Democratic Gov. Couy Griffin recall, Otero County, New Mexico (2021) Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Arrieta was assigned to the recall case after all of the 12th Judicial District judges recused themselves. Griffin said the allegations against him were baseless and politically motivated. 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. "We are disappointed that Commissioner Griffin was not able to be here for the entire process. 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. 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. Couy Griffin, Cowboys for Trump Founder, Bashes Trump - Rolling Stone Feb 3, 2021. Commissioner Griffin's rhetoric is only getting worse. In a written order, state Supreme Court justices unanimously rejected an appeal from Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin and upheld a . "The Committee to Recall Couy Griffin has received the official petition to Recall Otero County District . 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. "The fact that the committees efforts were unsuccessful will be upsetting to some and rewarding to others," a Facebook post by the Committee read. On April 19, Otero County Commission Vice Chairman Couy Griffin filed a stay in the New Mexico District Court recall case against him. Griffin, who co-founded political advocacy group Cowboys for Trump in March 2019 to promote the agenda of then-candidate Donald Trump, is alleged to have used his office as county commissioner to further his organization's work. Republican leads recall effort against king of Trump's cowboys 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. Otero County Commission talks aftermath of Couy Griffin statement. Griffin appealed Arrieta's ruling to the New Mexico Supreme Court which in turn affirmed the ruling. The allegations in the recall effort arethat Griffinfailed to attend Otero County Commission meetings properly by attending them telephonically when he was doing work for Cowboys for Trump; conduct resulting inGriffin'sbanishment from the Mescalero Apache Reservation;usingOtero County resourcesfor Cowboys for Trump business;filing animproper travel voucherand failing to "exercise proper fiduciary responsibility; andviolating the Gift Actwhen he asked for and received $3,500 from a restricted donor, the petition states. Griffin says the film about him was put together by Trump-allied attorney Sidney Powell and her group, Defending the Republic. 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. Cowboys for Trump founder appeals recall bid to high court 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. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Griffin was accused of trespassing onto the west steps of the Capitol Building Jan. 6. He denies allegations that he knowingly entered barricaded areas with the intent to disrupt government as Congress considered Electoral College results. And I think Im in tune with them.. Michael E. Vigil, Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Ivey-Soto requested that the stamp on the facepage of the petition not be affixed until the sixth day following the April 8 hearing unless Griffin files the appeal. Only the March 11 complaint was heard in the April 8. In April, Arrieta foundthere was probablecause to proceed with the recall petition. The petition needs 1,574 signatures from current Otero County District 2 voters in order to trigger a recall election. "We look forward to providing the voters of District 2 the opportunity to decide if they wish to keep Commissioner Griffin in office or remove him," Sanchez said. He is fighting for his political future amid a recall initiative and state probes into his finances. 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. 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. 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. July 1, 2021. 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. 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. Commissioner Griffin's rhetoric is only getting worse. Griffin formed Cowboys for Trump in 2019 with a group of rodeo acquaintances to hold horseback-riding parades across the country in support of then-President Donald Trump, and has ascribed to unsubstantiated claims of massive 2020 election fraud. As of Aug. 24, the petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has collected 853 of the required 1,574 signatures. That travel voucher was approved and a check was cut to Griffin in the amount of$3,237.48. Today, Couy Griffin is divorced, disparaged by family and confronts a political recall drive, a state corruption investigation and federal charges. "This is a historic opportunity for the people of District 2 and we look forward to the next step in this process.". (AP Photo/Morgan Lee, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. 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. Couy Griffin - Wikipedia "We can always do better, and I hope to do better moving forward. CASEY: Alleged Capitol trespasser made blood-curdling video in Star "He had as much right to due process as we do and the judge very much made it clear and afforded him that right. New Mexico allows recalls at the county level for malfeasance or misfeasance in office or violation of the oath of office by the official concerned. Those actions must have occurred during the officials current term of office in order for a recall effort to be approved to circulate petitions. 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. In response to the allegations, Griffin said in the April 7 email that "As far as Im concerned I will stand on the same principle Ive stated over and over. The recall committee is seeking final approval of its petition before it can be circulated for signatures. All rights reserved. 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. 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. 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. All rights reserved. Oliver, the Alamogordo Chamber of commerce Executive Director, were the basis of an investigation. 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. Griffin was accused of trespassing onto. "Recall is intended to be difficult and it is intended to be a very serious matter,"Ivey-Soto said. Separately, Griffin is defending himself against criminal charges in connection with the siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington. 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. Griffin was released from federal prison on Feb. 5. Bill) Richardson appointed judge in Manuel Arrieta," Griffin said in an email April 7. Recall effort against Cowboys for Trump founder lags | AP News Recall supporters said Griffin had used the office for personal gain. 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. 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. The petition can be signed only by currently registered District 2 Otero County voters. 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. 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. The regular Otero County Commission meeting that had begun at 9 a.m. and was still underway into the afternoon had recessed to allow him to attend the hearing. The vicious Democrat recall against Republican Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has officially failed, collecting only 1,229 signatures from voters, short of the amount needed to trigger a special election. Griffin returned the funds to Otero County, as officials questioned the legality of the voucher and payment. Griffin appealed Arrieta's the decision in favor of the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19. 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. https://www.facebook.com/RecallCouy/videos/565453014816238. New Mexico Supreme Court allows recall effort against Otero County "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. AlamogordoTownNews.com Special Report: Recall Couy Griffin - "It ain't (AP Photo/Morgan Lee), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Just a small donation to get the most dangerous County Commissioner we've EVER had removed from office! Officials at the Otero County clerks office were unavailable Monday to confirm requirements and deadlines in the recall drive. Also, please use our hashtag #recallcouygriffin in your shares and comments, this is how we spread the word!! Trump cowboy Couy Griffin seeks second act in politics after Capitol 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. 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. Once the petition is received by the Otero County Clerk's Office, the recall election has to happen within 90 days. The recall petition fell shy, with about one-quarter as time ran out on Wednesday. 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. A statement dated Jan. 19 by Otero County, New Mexico, commissioners following the Jan. 17 arrest of fellow commissioner Couy Griffin, 47, following his arrest on . Visit us at Ballotpedia.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 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 original civil complaint was filed March 11 with amended complaints filed March 24 and April 5 by the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin. 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. [2] 1 of 2. 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. In 2021, a committee began circulating a petition to recall Griffin from office, accusing him of missing numerous county meetings, . Griffin was released from federal prison on Feb. 5. They say Griffin skipped commission meetings and used his county office space to solicit contributions to Cowboys for Trump that covered his personal expenses. The petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin began circulation on July 1. Griffin said he was informed that the recall had fell short on Sept. 28 from a friend. Griffin appealed Arrieta's ruling to the New Mexico Supreme Court which in turn affirmed the ruling. Cowboys for Trump has held horseback-riding parades across the country in support of President Donald Trump. "It is now in their hands.". "The fight is far from over," Griffin said. "Just because the State of New Mexico wants to acknowledge the recall doesn't mean that the good people of Otero County will. Prior to Griffin's leaving the hearing, Arrieta told him that the Otero County Commission would have a quorum present without Griffin and that this hearing may be more important at this time. 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. The petition to recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin began circulation on July 1. Cowboys for Trump . He was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, according to the Alamogordo Daily News. Contact us at editor@ballotpedia.org. Otherwise, Griffin is up for possible re-election in 2022 for a second, four-year term. He sees himself . 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. The district court stay was denied by Third Judicial District . The hearing continued for about an hour after Griffin exited the hearing. The recall would be voted on by Otero County District 2 voters - 1,574verified signatures would need to be gathered for a recall election to proceed. Cowboys for Trump Founder, Facing Charges in Capitol Riot, Won't Be 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, . Effort advances to recall Cowboys for Trump founder Trump cowboy plots political future after Capitol breach - NBC News "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. 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. We are grateful for this opportunity to provide the registered voters of Otero County 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, the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin said in a statement. You know, they believe in individual freedoms and individual liberties. Griffin has not been charged with any crime by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office as of July 1, 2021 and the investigation of him is ongoing as of that date. Supreme Court allows recall effort against Cowboys for Trump leader 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. Supreme Court allows recall effort against Trump booster The petition alleges that Griffin neglected and misused his position as a county commissioner while skipping public meetings and. This story has been updated with a statement from Couy Griffin and more information about the recall process. Change.org Covid-19 1422. Griffin has been rebuked by some Republicans over his racial invective. 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. 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. The hearing was held in the old Otero County Commission Chambers in the Otero County Courthouse across the street from the Otero County Administration Building. 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. 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 vide 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. 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. 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. And Im damn sure no quitter!!". A successful recall election would have allowed Democratic Gov. ", 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.". The recall complaint listed five allegations against Griffin that are also listed on the petition. to stand with my fellow Americans in protest of what will one day be known as the biggest rigged election in American history.. 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. Petition now being circulated to recall Trump cowboy from Otero - KVIA 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. Griffin said the allegations against him were baseless and politically motivated. The recall effort has about 30 days inthe 90-day window to gather the required signatures. (Griffin) chose not to take it. 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. ", Get caught up:Otero Commissioners to discuss calls for resignation of Couy Griffin on Thursday. I believe I still have much support in my district. "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.". 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. I make $23,000 a year (as a county commissioner) and I do a lot of traveling and I do a lot of work. I mean, how much bigger representation can you bring to Otero County? Griffin said. 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 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. 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. The allegations could only be determined to be malfeasance,misfeasance, violation of his oath of office or a combination of all three. Their actions should represent the best interest of their constituents and spend tax payer money responsibly," the Committee statement read. Abbey Smith is a staff writer at Ballotpedia. "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. Countless registered voters from the other Otero County districts were turned away from signing since only District 2 signatures counted for the recall effort. The hearing was only to establish probable cause, in other words to determine if there wasevidence of truth to the charges alleged. Why not subscribe? Im glad that I went on that day. I would have wanted him to have the opportunity to argue his points here," Sanchez said. The. It was unclear how soon the state Supreme Court will decide whether to intervene. Recall supporters said Griffin had used the office for personal gain. 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 said he planned to fight the recall, though he no longer has the option to do that via the courts. 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. 296. If you agree that he needs to go, please like the @RecallCouyGriffin FB page. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin survives vicious Democrat recall New Mexico requires a number of signatures equal to one-third of participation in the previous election. Griffin was videotaped on the steps of the Capitol but not inside. 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. "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. The Committee to Recall Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffinreminded residentsthat the change.orgpetitioncirculating is not a legal document and cannot be used to trigger a recall election. 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. "I want every person to have confidence in my representation," Griffin said. 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.
Warco Funeral Home, Supergirl Fanfiction Kara Takes A Bullet For Lena, Incident In Warrnambool Today, Nfl Character Coach Salary, Articles R