Screengrab of the video showing Georgia State Senator Colton Moore involved in the scuffle.
Colton Moore, a Georgia state senator was heckled and pushed into the ground before being arrested as he attempted to enter the state House chamber on Thursday (Jan 16). Mr Moore was banned indefinitely from entering the House chamber last year after making controversial statements about the late House Speaker David Ralston but returned to participate in the joint session, set to be addressed by Governor Brian Kemp, as per a Fox News report.
After nearing the chamber’s gate, Mr Moore was met by a wall of resistance as he was pushed back by an attending doorman. Not willing to back down, Mr Moore said he had a constitutional right to enter and that the doorman should be arrested for breaking the law.
A skirmish ensued, with one of the viral videos showing Mr Moore being pushed to the floor by one of the doormen. He was then shepherded away by the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) in handcuffs for defying the ban.
The GSP said its troopers were forced to step in when Mr Moore created a disruption outside the House Chamber. He was taken to the Fulton County Jail and charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, a misdemeanour.
“Despite multiple verbal warnings and several attempts to de-escalate the situation, Sen. Moore persisted in his attempts to disrupt official proceedings inside the House Chamber,” the statement said.
“The disturbance escalated further when Sen. Moore pushed into troopers multiple times.”
No elected representative should be thrown to the ground & arrested for fulfilling their constitutional obligation.
I’m happy to help with paying for @realColtonMoore bail.
Please share details @FreedomCaucusGA @MalloryStaples1
— Harrison Floyd 🇺🇸 (@hw_floyd) January 16, 2025
“Senator Colton Moore, who exposed and defeated corrupt Fani Willis last year, has been arrested by the Anti-Trump Speaker of the Georgia House,” Mr Moore’s office said in a statement.
“Colton is being held in the same Atlanta jail as President Trump. We are working to ensure his expedient release. Please pray for all those standing up for freedom and peace for all Georgians.”
Moore released
A day prior to the kerfuffle, Mr Moore wrote a letter to the current House Speaker Jon Burns, outlining why the ban was unconstitutional while warning that he intended to crash Thursday’s joint session.
After his release from jail, Mr Moore shared a video of him in the hospital, saying: “Thank you to all the patriots who have shown their support today. I have a Constitutional duty and will be back in the legislature tomorrow.”
