Couy Griffin Cowboys for Trump criminal case delayed

Correction: This story was updated Sept. 13 to correct the reason behind the trail delay. According to court documents, the motion was filed by Jonathan C. Miller, attorney for Couy Griffin. Miller noted his mother was ill in the motion and asked for the trial to be continued. The judge granted the motion. A previously published version of this article mistakenly identified Griffin's mother as the person who was ill. The Alamogordo Daily News apologies for the error.

The criminal case against former Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin, 47, of Tularosa, for allegedly failing to file Cowboys for Trump as a political action committee was scheduled to begin this week but was pushed back to December.

In a motion filed by Griffin's attorney, Jonathan C. Miller, Miller noted a family emergency which would preclude him from being available for the preset date. According to court records, Miller's mother is terminally ill.

Per 12th Judicial Judge Douglas Driggers, the case is to be reset no sooner than December 2022.

The criminal complaint filed by New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas on March 18 states that  between Jan. 15, 2020 and March 18, 2022, Griffin "willfully and knowingly" violated provisions of the Campaign Reporting Act by disregarding orders to register as a political action committee with the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office, file finance reports and pay $7,800 in accumulated fines by the March 18, 2022 deadline.

Griffin pleaded not guilty to the charges during an April 1 arraignment.

An arbitrator, who was chosen by Griffin and Cowboys for Trump, earlier found for the Secretary of State's Office.

The case went to federal district court where a judge dismissed Griffin's case where he tried to have the New Mexico Campaign Reporting Act declared unconstitutional.

That case was appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals which declined to reverse the federal district court decision on Feb. 15.

Griffin was the District 2 Otero County Commissioner until he was removed from office Sept. 6 by a court order from New Mexico First Judicial District Judge Francis Mathew based on Griffin's participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, per Mathew's decision.

Griffin did not run for re-election and due to the ruling, he cannot run for political office.

Griffin was removed from office based on the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause. Griffin's activities in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 were ruled an "insurrection."

Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter.

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This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Couy Griffin criminal case delayed