A federal judge on Tuesday found Couy Griffin, the founder of Cowboys for Trump and a county commissioner in New Mexico, guilty on one charge stemming from the Jan. 6 Capitol assault and not guilty of a second.
Griffin, the second defendant to be tried for their role in the Capitol assault, was found guilty on a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and not guilty of a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. Judge Trevor McFadden said the government was unable to meet its burden of proof that Griffin purposely tried to get the crowd outside the Capitol riled up, ABC News reports.
Prosecutors said Griffin did not physically enter the Capitol building, but climbed several barriers and a wall to enter a restricted area that had been set up to protect former Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the certification of President Biden's electoral victory. Video footage shows Griffin in the area for more than an hour, and he is seen at several points cheering on the crowd and leading a prayer.
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Griffin's sentencing is scheduled for June. He faces up to one year in jail and potential fines.
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