Capitol riot trial opens for Cowboys for Trump founder

WASHINGTON (AP) — An elected official from New Mexico is set to be the second person tried on charges stemming from the U.S. Capitol riot. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., will hear testimony without a jury for Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin's trial Monday. Griffin is charged with illegally entering Capitol grounds the day a pro-Trump mob disrupted certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Griffin is not accused of entering the Capitol or engaging in violence or destruction Jan. 6, 2021. Griffin's lawyers says he peacefully led a prayer on the Capitol steps. A jury this month convicted a Texas man of storming the Capitol in the first trial for a riot defendant.