Mar 22, 2022 - Politics & Policy

"Cowboys for Trump" founder convicted for breaching the Capitol on Jan. 6

Ivana Saric

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.

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"Cowboys for Trump" founder convicted for breaching the Capitol on Jan. 6

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