WASHINGTON — The legal argument that worked for President Donald Trump failed to deliver for one of his supporters on Monday as the Supreme Court turned away a New Mexico man who was kicked out of local office over his role in the events of Jan. 6.
Couy Griffin, a founder of “Cowboys for Trump,” was criminally convicted over his role in Jan. 6 and lost his job as a county commissioner as a result.
The lawsuit brought against him by New Mexico residents cited the same constitutional provision that Trump successfully argued in a separate case could not be used to throw him off the ballot in Colorado.
Both cases concerned Section 3 of the 14th amendment, which says those who previously took an oath to the Constitution while holding a government position but later “engaged in insurrection” cannot hold office.
Griffin had been hoping that a victory for Trump could help him as well.
But when the Supreme Court ruled for Trump in that case on March 4, it made it clear that the ruling only applied to those running for federal office.
“We conclude that states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the presidency,” the court said.
As a result, Griffin’s case was effectively resolved. The court rejected his appeal on Monday without comment.
A state judge removed Griffin from his position as a commissioner in Otero County, New Mexico, in September 2022 after concluding that his actions on Jan. 6 made him ineligible to serve.
Earlier that year, Griffin was convicted of illegally entering the Capitol grounds, although he was acquitted of engaging in disorderly conduct during chaotic scenes in which Trump supporters attempted to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election win.
Section 3, enacted after the Civil War, prevents anyone who previously took an oath to defend the Constitution from holding various government offices. It was passed to prevent former Confederates from returning to government but has rarely been enforced.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
