Fellow commissioners call for ouster of Cowboys for Trump leader; feds call him ‘danger’ to community
ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico -- An Otero County commissioner and founder of the group Cowboys for Trump, who was arrested on charges stemming from the U.S. Capitol riot, is now the target of a recall effort as his fellow commissioners on Tuesday demanded his resignation and federal prosecutors sought to hold him without bond as a "danger."
Commissioner Couy Griffin was taken into custody over the weekend by the FBI on a charge of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol on the day of the Jan. 6 riot.
"The people of Otero County deserve an end to this circus now, we call upon Commissioner Griffin to resign his office immediately," said a statement issued by the two others on the three-member commission, Gerald Matherly and Vickie Marquardt.
"He was one of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the counting of the electoral vote, an action for which he has now been charged in federal court," the two commissioners wrote. "And he has called for violence tomorrow at the inauguration of Joe Biden."
The pair indicated there was a recall effort already underway to remove Griffin, but they added it could take months. Matherly and Marquardt said they would lend their support to the recall if Griffin doesn't resign immediately.
Meantime, a new D.C. court filing by federal authorities asked a magistrate to order Griffin held until his case goes to trial, citing him as an ongoing security threat.
"The defendant has taken 'nothing off the table' in pursuit of his aims to ensure 'Biden will never be president.' The defendant's inflammatory conduct, repeated threats, delusional worldview, and access to firearms makes him a danger to the community," read a portion of the 11-page motion by prosecutors.
The latest filing also questioned Griffin's overall character, calling him an "inflammatory provocateur and fabulist who engages in racist invective and propounds baseless conspiracy theories." It cited a litany of controversial statements and actions in recent years and suggested he lacked stability - making him a potential flight risk if released.
"The defendant has no established profession, whether as cowboy, cowboy actor, restauranteur, or otherwise," the court filing stated.
According to other federal court documents previously obtained by ABC-7, Griffin told investigators that he was “caught up” in the Capitol crowd on Jan. 6 when it pushed its way through the barricades and entered restricted areas; he said he did not enter the building and instead remained on the Capitol steps.
Video aired by ABC-7 from the Jan. 6 incident clearly showed Griffin in the restricted areas, according to a law enforcement affidavit.
Griffin has not responded to phone messages from ABC-7 in recent days seeking comment.
The FBI said Griffin's arrest over the weekend came after he traveled with firearms - as he had vowed to do - to Washington for Biden’s inauguration.
Below is the complete statement from his fellow commissioners calling for Griffin to step down from office and also the latest federal court filing seeking to keep him jailed until trial.
