A former New Mexico county commissioner who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot has been barred from running for future office after a Supreme Court decision on Monday.
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the former Otero County Commissioner, making him the only elected official thus far to be disqualified from office in connection with the Capitol attack that disrupted Congress during the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory over then-President Trump.
While the Supreme Court recently ruled that states cannot prevent Trump or other candidates for federal offices from appearing on the ballot, they clarified that different rules apply to state and local candidates.
In an unsigned opinion, the justices stated, 'We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office.'
The former commissioner was removed from office in September 2022 due to his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot, following a ruling by New Mexico State District Court Judge Francis Mathew that permanently prohibits him from seeking local or federal office.
Judge Mathew found that the commissioner engaged in an 'insurrection after taking his oath' at the U.S. Capitol, violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
Previously convicted in federal court of a misdemeanor for entering the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, the former commissioner received a 14-day sentence with credit for time served.
The commissioner claims he entered the Capitol grounds unknowingly as a restricted area and attempted to lead a prayer with a bullhorn without resorting to violence.
During a gathering in Gillette, Wyoming, on the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, the former commissioner portrayed himself as a victim of political persecution, expressing gratitude for the experience and the patriotism displayed that day.
A cowboy pastor who gained national attention by aligning with then-President Trump through horseback caravans, the former commissioner's political future remains uncertain following the Supreme Court's decision.
