Supreme Court rejects appeal by former New Mexico county commissioner banned for Jan. 6 insurrection

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 9:41 AM EDT, March 18, 2024


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from a former New Mexico county commissioner who was kicked out of office over his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Former Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin, a cowboy pastor who rode to national political fame by embracing then-President Donald Trump with a series of horseback caravans, is the only elected official thus far to be banned from office in connection with the Capitol attack, which disrupted Congress as it was trying to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory over Trump.

At a 2022 trial in state district court, Griffin received the first disqualification from office in over a century under a provision of the 14th Amendment written to prevent former Confederates from serving in government after the Civil War.

Though the Supreme Court ruled this month that states don’t have the ability to bar Trump or other candidates for federal offices from the ballot, the justices said different rules apply to state and local candidates. “We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office,” the justices wrote in an unsigned opinion.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-insurrection-capitol-attack-new-mexico-cc69572ec4a4404c69947d7d91b3960a

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PA needs to do this to the loon Doug Mastriano (R) (PA Senate District 33).

[Turbineguy]

1. Griffin should have changed his name to trump

or at least claimed to be a close relative.

[2naSalit]

2. Now that's interesting.

[niyad]

3. Indeed.

[duhneece]

12. You know I'm doing a happy dance

I’m probably the only DUer who has the dishonor to be in his former District

[niyad]

18. I figured you were doing so. Now if only he would get lost out in the desert.

[LeftInTX]

4. It's a local race. States have the rights to make laws about who is allowed to be on the ballot in state/local races.

In Texas, you must reside in your district for a year, for a congressional race, you don't even need to reside at all.

Also in Texas, convicted felons are not allowed to run for state and local races. However, convicted felons can run for Congress and US Senate. US President because federal law determines who is eligible and there are no federal laws banning felons from filing.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. What is different here though

is the "modern" use of a Civil War-era U.S. Constitutional clause for a state race. And since it went all the way to the SCOTUS and January 6 had all kinds of people who were "state-elected officials" or want to "run for a state office" who participated in the insurrection, then this is a way to toss those people off the ballot.

[LeftInTX]

13. It wasn't about the 14th. States have the rights to make their own rules & laws about who is on the ballot

The SC wasn't going to dive into their laws/rules etc.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Oh I know about the states rights laws for elections

but in this case, CO used the 14th Amendment Clause 3 to kick Cuoy out and keep him off the ballot and that is what the SCOTUS just deferred to the appellate court allowing that reason - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-faces-14th-amendment-suits-cuoy-griffin-speaks/story?id=103009491

[former9thward]

5. People like to cite this case but as precedent it is pretty worthless.

Griffin represented himself at the hearing and did not argue the insurrection clause. He was not represented by a lawyer. And then when he went to appeal he turned it in late. So it was denied on those grounds. The merit of his case has never been argued in an actual court.

[keopeli]

6. Hooray! Proud of New Mexico! Proud to be rid of Cuoy, the Traitor! I hope other states follow our example.

[Novara]

8. The Constitution doesn't make the distinction between federal and state offices

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Emphasis mine.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. They keep claiming that the word

"President" isn't in there, and then got into the weeds about whether the President was actually "an officer" and other cherry-picked nonsense.

[LeftInTX]

19. Griffin was convicted of trespassing, a misdemeanor.

It was local government who removed him as he was a county commissioner.

We had a local guy removed after being charged with a DUI. He wasn't even convicted.

[Novara]

20. A conviction isn't necessary.

Face it, the corrupt SCOTUS re-wrote the Constitution to protect Day One Dictator and only him.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. Link to CREW announcement in 2022...

https://www.citizensforethics.org/news/press-releases/judge-removes-couy-griffin-from-office-for-engaging-in-the-january-6-insurrection/

[duhneece]

11. We're doing a happy dance in our county!!

💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

[CousinIT]

14. YET, the leader of that insurrection, Trump, is still allowed on the ballot AND

they want to rule on whether HE is immune or not.

Pfft.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. State versus Federal

unfortunately.

Meaning as much as it needs to be done here in PA to Scott Perry (PA-10) (the insurrectionist Congressman whose phone was taken), it obviously can't be (which is why the example I have in the OP comments is about a loon State Senator here).

[NanaCat]

17. Not much of a surprise

It wasn't a federal office, so the local government could determine who qualified for their ballot.