The founder of “Cowboys for Trump,” a man who also is a New Mexico commissioner opposed to certifying a recent primary election, was sentenced to two weeks in prison at a Washington, D.C., court Friday for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Couy Griffin has already served 20 days in prison and will receive credit for time served, meaning he will not spend any additional time behind bars. He has also been sentenced to 60 hours of community service and a year of supervised release and must pay a $3,000 fine.
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Griffin was found guilty of a misdemeanor in March for entering restricted Capitol grounds but was acquitted of a separate charge of disorderly conduct during his bench trial. Because his actions were not violent, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden said the sentence was lighter, but he added that Griffin’s crime should be taken seriously because he is a county commissioner.
“You are encouraging the breaking of our laws. I have to take that seriously,” McFadden said, according to CBS News.
Prosecutors suggested Griffin should receive 90 days in prison, with credit for the 20 days he has already served. The higher sentence request was due to Griffin’s attitude within and without the court, including when he tweeted about the judge’s opinion on the trespassing charge. Prosecutors also said he showed a “lack of remorse” for his actions despite apologizing and admitting he was wrong.
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The sentence was levied hours before the GOP-led Otero County commission on which Griffin serves convened an emergency meeting to vote on certifying the election results of the June 7 primary. The panel, under order of the state Supreme Court, voted 2-1 in favor of certifying. Griffin was the lone no vote.
“If this is as far as our audit goes … it’s enough to prove how scared they are at the top,” he said, phoning into the meeting.
