Supreme Court Takes Firm Stance on January 6 Insurrection by Banning Ex-New Mexico Official
The Supreme Court rejected a case that seemed to establish a double standard for Donald Trump and other citizens. On Monday, the conservative-majority court upheld a ban on former New Mexico official Couy Griffin from running for office in the state again due to his criminal history. Griffin was convicted in 2022 for his involvement in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, leading to his removal as county commissioner.
The Supreme Court’s initial ruling on the Fourteenth Amendment comes after invalidating a Colorado decision that prevented Trump from participating in the state’s GOP presidential primary. This marks the first instance of the “insurrectionist clause†being invoked to disqualify an individual from holding office since its inception to prevent former Confederates from regaining prominent positions after the Civil War. By permitting the application of the Fourteenth Amendment in the case of Griffin, the Supreme Court indirectly implies that the events of January 6th constitute an insurrection.
