By Marshall Cohen
CNN
July 3, 2021
(CNN)A Trump-appointed federal judge on Friday rejected claims from a US Capitol riot defendant that he had been “selectively charged” because he is a supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Federal Judge Trevor McFadden shot down that accusation and upheld the criminal charges against Couy Griffin, a county commissioner from New Mexico who founded the “Cowboys for Trump” group and was featured in a recent CNN documentary about the January 6 insurrection.
The judge also rejected Griffin’s technical arguments about the federal trespassing statutes that the Justice Department used to prosecute him and hundreds of other riot suspects. The ruling could influence other judges who are considering similar challenges regarding the trespassing law.