State troopers arrested Georgia State Senator Colton Moore after he attempted to defy House orders barring him from the chambers.
“Senator Colton Moore, who exposed and defeated corrupt District Attorney Fani Willis last year, has been arrested by the Anti-Trump Speaker of the Georgia House,” according to Moore’s press office.
“Colton is being held in the same Atlanta jail where President Trump was.” We are working to expedite his release. Please pray for everyone fighting for freedom and peace for all Georgians.”
Why It Matters
Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia delivered a State of the State address to the House on Thursday.
House Speaker Jon Burns had sent Moore a letter reminding him that he is banned for making “vile, disparaging, and false comments” about the late House Speaker David Ralston.
The conflict began with Moore’s comments last year about naming a new facility at the University of North Georgia after Ralston, whom Moore described as “one of the most corrupt Georgians we’ve seen in our lives.”
Burns stated that Moore’s ban would be lifted if he offered a “sincere apology” to the former leader’s family and friends.
Moore told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he met with Burns on Wednesday, but they ended up “agreeing to disagree.” The Trenton Republican and former House member called Burns a “tyrant” on social media and threatened “direct legal action.”
What To Know
Greg Bluestein, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter, captured the arrest on X, formerly known as Twitter. The photos show multiple officers surrounding Moore, who was wearing his name tag on his suit. Moore was seen on the ground in the following photograph.
“This afternoon, January 16, 2025, the Georgia State Patrol arrested Senator Colton Moore at the State Capitol following a public disturbance prior to the State of the State address,” the Georgia Department of Public Safety told Newsweek.
“Troopers stationed at the Capitol were forced to intervene when Senator Moore caused a disturbance outside the House Chamber.
Despite multiple verbal warnings and attempts to de-escalate the situation, Senator Moore continued to disrupt official proceedings in the House Chamber. Senator Moore repeatedly pushed into Troopers, escalating the disturbance.
Republican state Sen. Colton Moore was just arrested by state Troopers after he tried to defy a House order that banned him from the chambers. He was knocked to the floor after a scuffle, and was led away after telling authorities they were denying his rights. #gapol pic.twitter.com/jcKi5LEQHW
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) January 16, 2025
Bluestein’s video shows security pushing Moore back as he repeatedly attempts to get past the officers and into the chambers. Moore is asked by one officer to “stop.” Moore stumbles as a security guard grabs the state senator’s jacket lapels.
Moore becomes more aggressive in his fight after the chamber doors are opened, and a security guard appears to push Moore away and onto the ground.
Moore gets up and walks directly to the officer. One guard says, “I’m so sorry.”
“It has gone too far,” Moore said in the video. “I am obligated to be in that room. I represent 200,000 people in northwest Georgia, who duly elected me to this position. And you’re impeding that. It is unconstitutional. “You have no respect for the Constitution.”
Moore was repeatedly told by security guards to “step away.”
“I understand what you are saying. “This has gone too far,” one trooper stated. “It needs to stop, okay?”
Moore said he has “more authority than this doorkeeper of the House.”
“I’m not causing a disturbance,” Moore stated. “I need to be let in.”
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) January 16, 2025
Moore was then arrested and put in handcuffs. He did not fight after officers placed his hands behind his back.
“The Georgia State Patrol, in an effort to maintain peace and ensure the safety of all involved, arrested Senator Moore without incident,” the Georgia Department of Public Safety told Newsweek.
Leave a Reply