Judge Removes Insurrectionist Couy Griffin From New Mexico Office
WASHINGTON, D.C — On Tuesday, Sept. 6, a New Mexico judge removed New Mexico County Commissioner and election denier Couy Griffin from office due to his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The judge ruled that Griffin is constitutionally disqualified from holding office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which states that a person holding public office may not engage in insurrection, and removed him from office, effective immediately. In the judgment, the court states that Griffin “assumed a leadership role in the mob by using a bullhorn to gain the crowd’s attention,” “Griffin’s crossing of barricades to approach the Capitol were overt acts in support of the insurrection” and he “incited, encouraged, and helped normalize the violence on January 6.” According to Citizens For Ethics, today’s “decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3,” along with “the first time that any court has ruled the events of January 6, 2021 an insurrection.”
This ruling comes after Griffin’s involvement in a separate lawsuit in which he, in his position as an Otero County commissioner, refused to certify election results following the state’s June primary election. After the commissioners were unable to point to any actual deficiencies in the county’s election results to support voting against certification, the New Mexico Supreme Court ordered the commission to comply with its statutory duty and certify the election results.
Learn more about the certification case involving Griffin here.