The Supreme Court rejected a case that seems to establish a double standard for Donald Trump and other private citizens. The court upheld a ban preventing former New Mexico official Couy Griffin from running for office in the state again due to his criminal history: Griffin was convicted of misdemeanor offenses for his involvement in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2022, leading to the loss of his job as county commissioner.
The Supreme Court’s initial ruling on the Fourteenth Amendment since striking down a Colorado decision earlier this month to exclude Trump from the state’s GOP primary ballot marks a significant moment. This is the first instance where the “insurrectionist clause” has been invoked to prevent someone from holding office since its inception to prevent former Confederates from regaining positions of power after the Civil War. By permitting the application of the Fourteenth Amendment against Griffin, the Supreme Court appears to have indirectly classified the events of the January 6 riot as an insurrection.
“I just found out (through the media) that my appeal to the SCOTUS has been denied,” Griffin wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Very disappointed. I don’t even know what to say. But I thank you for your prayers and for standing with me through this.”
The rationale for the discrepancy between Trump’s and Griffin’s cases, however, likely boils down to state election specifics—whereas Colorado attempted to bend national electoral precedent by keeping Trump off the ballot, New Mexico’s case keeps Griffin out of New Mexico politics.
The court’s decision follows the conviction of Griffin on misdemeanor charges related to his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, which resulted in his removal from his position as a county commissioner in New Mexico. The Supreme Court declined to review Griffin’s case, effectively upholding the lower court’s ruling without further commentary.
Griffin’s banishment from New Mexico politics did not deter him from eyeing more national roles within the GOP. He took to social media, expressing a desire to be considered for the role of Vice President under a future Trump presidency. His aspirations, however, have been quashed at the state level due to his prior misdemeanor convictions stemming from January 6.
This Supreme Court action comes in the wake of another case that prevented states from disqualifying former President Donald Trump from federal office ballots. The distinction between Griffin’s and Trump’s situations lies in state versus federal electoral precedence; while states maintain authority over who can run for state offices, disqualifying individuals from federal ballots falls outside their jurisdiction.
Relevant articles:
– Supreme Court Upholds Insurrection Ban on Official Who’s Not Trump
– Supreme Court Lets New Mexico Ban ‘Cowboys For Trump’ Founder From State Office For Jan. 6 Riots, Forbes, Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:32:15 GMT
– Supreme Court rejects appeal by former New Mexico county commissioner banned for Jan. 6 insurrection, Yahoo News Canada, Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:42:18 GMT
– Supreme Court to decide whether insurrection provision keeps Trump off ballot, SCOTUSblog, Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT