Couy Griffin, the controversial co-founder of Cowboys for Trump, has decided not to seek re-election for southern New Mexico’s Otero County Commission. Nor will he seek other public offices in the 2022 election year, according to KRQE.
Griffin, a staunch Republican and Trump supporter, said his decision is based on his lack of enchantment with the nation’s political system and not the legal troubles he faces.
“It’s just my faith in the political system is pretty much nonexistent right now,” Griffin said to KRQE. “I’ve done all I can over the course of the last three years … And I’ve just been attacked every time I turn around.”
The first-term commissioner added, “It’s not my desire, I should say, to remain in politics. But who knows what the future holds.”
Griffin said that when his four-year term ends, he’ll continue speaking publicly and advocating for local and statewide Republicans. He faces misdemeanor criminal charges in federal court relating to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S Capitol. He allegedly appeared on an outdoor terrace of the building and attempted to lead the crowd in prayer, according to KRQE.
Griffin continues to deny charges that he knowingly entered barricaded areas of the Capitol grounds with the intent of disrupting government, as Congress certified the 2020 election results.
He is also engaged in a lengthy legal battle with New Mexico election regulators about his group Cowboys for Trump, and whether or not it should register as a political organization. In January, he voted with his fellow county commissioners to hire a private contractor to review the 2020 presidential election in Otero County, KRQE said.
