Anyone who has taken part in an anti-government insurrection may not hold public office in the United States. For more than 100 years, this provision of the US Constitution has not been applied - until now. A Trump supporter who took part in the storming of the Capitol has been forced to vacate his post as administrator in New Mexico.
A supporter of former US President Donald Trump has been banned from any public office by a US court for his role in the storming of the Capitol. Because Couy Griffin took part in the "riot" on January 6, 2021, he is also no longer allowed to exercise his position as administrator of the Otero District - after all, Griffin swore to protect the US Constitution after his election, but has Amendment 14 because of injured by taking part in the uprising. This emerges from documents from a district court in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico.
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. Other reports even state that the provision, which dates back to the US Civil War, has not been used for 150 years.
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." 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 Donald 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.
Civil rights groups have tried multiple lawsuits to use the 14th Amendment to disqualify participants in the uprising from public office, including several prominent Republican congressmen. So far, however, no court has followed this argument. The use of the provision against Trump himself has also been repeatedly brought up in order to prevent him from running again for the presidency.
