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Georgia A state senator has been lifted from a ban on entering the state House chamber following an ugly incident Thursday that resulted in him being thrown to the ground, arrested and later hospitalized.
State Sen. Colton Moore, hardline supporter President-elect Trump He previously sought to impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her accusations against the former president. He got into a heated exchange at the entrance to the House chamber, where officials denied him entry to Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State address.
Moore, who is from Trenton in Dade County, was eventually pushed to the ground by Keith Williams, an attorney for House Speaker Jon Burns’ office who was trying to enforce the speaker’s restraining order against Moore. Moore was barred from the chamber after blasting a decision the state Senate considered last year. a resolution Name a building at the University of North Georgia after now-deceased former House Speaker David Ralston.
State Sen. Colton Moore is in the hospital (left) as Moore is pushed to the ground (right). (Senator Colton Moore via Storyful/Fox News)
State senator pushed to ground and arrested while trying to enter Georgia House
Moore repeatedly tried to brush off House staff Thursday but was repeatedly rebuffed. Then, at one point, William knocked Moore away and the senator fell awkwardly to the floor. After trying to enter again, Moore was arrested and taken away by state troopers.
Later in the evening, Moore posted a video of himself sitting in a hospital bed with a blood pressure monitor strapped to one arm. His other arm was raised high on the side rail of the bed.
“I did take a few hits; my hand was a little swollen and purple; we’re waiting to get an X-ray,” Moore said.
“Today, as I fought for your freedom, they took away my liberty and freedom. But I tell you, we still have a constitutional obligation to do the job, and I will still be in the Legislature tomorrow morning. Thank you all for your support ”
Burns initially called the incident “extremely unfortunate” and said Moore “chosen to use force against our law enforcement officers, dedicated janitors and House staff, creating a dangerous situation.” Burns said the House’s integrity And etiquette is “non-negotiable.”
Burns, a Republican from Newington, lifted the ban on Friday after the state Senate and Republican leaders unanimously supported Moore.
Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, is detained by the Georgia State Patrol as he attempts to enter the state House of Representatives to deliver the State of the State address at the Georgia Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via Associated Press)
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He said Moore wanted to “cause a riot in the media and gain notoriety, breaking long-standing rules and decorum precedents that every member of the General Assembly is responsible for upholding.” But he said he would allow Moore to sit in the joint session without an apology because Ralston didn’t want the Legislature’s work to be hindered.
“For this reason, the Ralston family expresses their hope to their families in the House that our chamber can resume normal operations with all members of the General Assembly present for any future joint meetings, regardless of whether they apologize , the House deserves it,” Burns said.
Moore’s ban stemmed from a speech he gave last year in which he blasted former Speaker Ralston, a fellow Republican.
Moore accused Ralston of using his office to delay court cases for criminal defendants he represents as counsel. Ralston claimed in 2019 that his The action is completely legal.
“In my opinion, this institution will honor one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders I have ever seen in my lifetime,” Moore exclaimed at the time.
This is not the first time Colton, a self-proclaimed “Green Wrangler,” has clashed with Republican colleagues.
Trenton Republican Sen. Colton Moore was pushed to the ground. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)
In 2023, the Georgia Republican Senate caucus suspended Moore after he attacked them for opposing his plan to impeach Willis over the Election interference case.
Moore won Trump’s endorsement as the most prominent backer of a special session to impeach and remove Willis or defund his office. Kemp denounced the call to raise campaign donations for Moore as “some charlatan’s scam.”
The Willis case eventually fell apart, in part because she was romantic relationship with prosecutor She hired.
Moore was booked into the Fulton County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of willfully obstructing a law enforcement officer.
A supporter posted about Moore’s $1,000 bail after he imitated a photo taken of Donald Trump from the same jail.
Police spokesman Lt. Edward Starling said he had no update on whether the charges would be dropped.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
