A truly wild scene erupted at the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday when state Sen. Colton Moore was arrested while trying to enter the House chamber.
All of this was captured on video and quickly spread through social media.
Moore, who had previously been disbarred from Congress for accusing former House Speaker David Ralston of corruption, was about to attend Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State address.
Ralston was replaced by Republican House Speaker Jon Burns, who ordered Moore banned unless he offered a formal apology to Ralston’s family and supporters.
It is unclear whether the ban has a legal basis. Or is it based on reality? Excluding senators from the chamber where they are supposed to conduct the business of the people is not how representative institutions work.
And Moore was ready to challenge that order.
Colton Moore is forced out.
Republican Senator Colton Moore struggled to defy the ban and was knocked to the ground by House staff and the Georgia State Patrol.
Moore sought to argue that House rules cannot supersede the constitutional duties of a joint session. He is morally right, if not ethically so.
As a result of the confrontation, Moore was charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement, a misdemeanor, and taken into custody.
Watch the outrageous events unfold below…
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) January 16, 2025
In the video, it is clear that a man pushed Moore to the ground. At some point, they claim things went too far. Colton agrees.
“It went too far,” Moore said. “I have a duty to be in that room. “I represent the 200,000 people in northwest Georgia who rightfully elected me today.”
RELATED: Social media posts show Fulton County DA Fani Willis questioning the 2020 election.
It’s an embarrassment for Georgia.
It couldn’t be more embarrassing for Georgia to see lawmakers brawling in the hallways because they offended one of their colleagues and then tried to ban him. Burns must be extremely embarrassed.
Lieutenant Governor Bert Jones (right) appears to have agreed, condemning the arrests.
“All 56 elected senators and 180 elected members of the House of Representatives deserve the opportunity to fulfill their responsibility to attend a joint session of the General Assembly,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He continued: “There is real work to be done this session and the focus should be on serving the people of Georgia rather than on personal grievances and egos.”
Burns defended the move, saying, “Integrity and decency in this House are non-negotiable.”
But Burns and Georgia Republicans may have something else unsettling about their complaints. Colton Moore is the one who launched the investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis following legal action against former President Donald Trump.
Moore was suspended indefinitely from the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus for his advocacy of the investigation. The caucus has criticized Moore, arguing that his campaign is misleading the public in Georgia and across the country, escalating tensions and hostility while endangering the safety of fellow caucus members and their families.
Moore branded Republicans who opposed the investigation as ‘RINO’ (Republicans In Name Only) and rallied supporters to push for Willis’ investigation.
Turns out he was right. Willis was pursuing unlawful and malicious prosecution. And RINOs didn’t want to get involved in this.
Ironically, Burns should be banned from the conference room until he apologizes to Moore.
