WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a former New Mexico county commissioner banished from public office for participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. The court’s order Monday means Republican former Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin remains disqualified from public office under a constitutional provision designed to prevent ex-Confederates from serving in government after the Civil War. The outcome of Griffin’s case could bolster efforts to hold other state and local elected officials accountable for their involvement in the attack by a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters. Griffin is a cowboy pastor who supported Trump in horseback caravans. The Jan. 6 attack delayed certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over the Republican president.
