Judge removes “Cowboys for Trump” founder from elected office

A judge removed “Cowboys for Trump” founder Couy Griffin from his elected position as a county commissioner in New Mexico on Tuesday over his taking part in the Jan. 6 riots reports Newser.

 This is the first time an elected official has been removed from office as a result of their participation in or support for the Capitol insurrection. Griffin has also been barred from ever holding any state or federal elected office again.

A group of New Mexico residents filed a lawsuit that sought Griffin’s removal from office. The lawsuit alleged that Griffin, who was found guilty in March of illegally being in a restricted area of the Capitol during the insurrection, violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits anyone from holding federal or state office who has participated in an “insurrection or rebellion” against the US government. This is the first time since 1869 that an elected official has been removed under this clause, according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Tuesday’s ruling, made by District Court Judge Francis Mathew, was also the first time a judge has formally called the events of Jan. 6 an insurrection.