Attack on US Capitol: Court bans participants from public office for the first time

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Attack on the US Capitol (on January 6, 2021)

Photo: Julio Cortez/AP

In this specific case, it is about offices in the state of New Mexico.

Nonetheless, the recent Santa Fe District Court rulings are likely to be closely watched at the national level as well.

A supporter of former US President Donald Trump has been banned from any public office by the US court for his role in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Because Couy Griffin took part in the "riot," he was also barred from his position as Otero County Administrator.

After all, according to the court, Griffin swore to protect the US Constitution after his election - but violated Amendment 14 by participating in the insurgency.

This emerges from documents published on Tuesday by a district court.

According to the TV broadcaster CNN, it was the first time that a judge classified the events of January 6 as a riot.

The New York Times wrote that it was the first time in over a century that an official had been banned from public positions for violating the 14th Amendment.

According to the newspaper, it also remains to be seen whether other participants in the Capitol storm will be excluded from public office in the future - and whether this regulation could also be applied at the highest level.

In justifying his decision, Judge Francis Mathew continued: "The protests and characterizations of his actions and the events of January 6, 2021 are not credible and amount to nothing more than trying to put lipstick on a pig."

The guilty verdict had already been made

Griffin, who also founded the group "Cowboys for Trump", was found guilty a few months ago in the capital Washington of trespassing on the grounds around the Capitol.

On January 6, 2021, supporters of the then US President Trump violently stormed the seat of parliament in Washington.

Congress met there to certify the victory of Trump's Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the previous presidential election.

Five people were killed in the riots, including a police officer.

Trump had recently incited his supporters at a rally by claiming that his election victory had been stolen.

Since Jan. 6, more than 850 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol storm, according to the US Department of Justice.

jok/dpa