"Cowboys for Trump" founder convicted for breaching the Capitol on Jan. 6
Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin rides his horse on 5th Avenue in New York City in May 2020. Photo: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images
Couy Griffin, a New Mexico County commissioner who founded Cowboys for Trump, was convicted by a federal judge on Tuesday for breaching the grounds of the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, Politico reported.
Why it matters: Griffin entered the Capitol grounds and, prosecutors argued, joined a large mob that knowingly entered a restricted area established by the Secret Service to protect former Vice President Mike Pence, per CNN.
Driving the news: Griffin faced two charges in relation to his actions on Jan. 6 —entering a restricted area that was designated as such "due to the presence of a Secret Service protectee," and disorderly conduct, according to Politico.
- U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden delivered a split verdict, convicting Griffin for breaching the Capitol but finding him not guilty of disorderly conduct, Politico reported.
- “He crossed over three different walls,” McFadden said, per Politico. “All of this would suggest to a normal person that perhaps you should not be entering the area.”
The big picture: Griffin is the second defendant to have stood trial in connection to the Capitol riot.
- Earlier this month, Guy Reffitt was found guilty on all five charges in connection to the insurrection.