Lawmaker arrested at Ga. Capitol during Kemp speech
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Georgia senator who had been previously banned from the floor of the state House was arrested Thursday when he tried to attend Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State address.
The governor’s annual speech is delivered from the Georgia House chamber, and state Sen. Colton Moore (R-Trenton) was banned last year after he denounced late House Speaker David Ralston as “one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders we’ll ever see in our lifetime.”
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“The Georgia State Patrol arrested Sen. Colton Moore at the state capitol following a public disturbance prior to the State of the State address,” according to a statement from the Georgia Department of Public Safety. “Troopers stationed at the Capitol were forced to step in when Sen. Moore created a disruption outside the house chamber.
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“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.”
The department said Moore was arrested and taken to the Fulton County Jail. Moore has been charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, a misdemeanor.
“Senator Colton Moore, who exposed and defeated corrupt Fani Willis last year, has been arrested by the Anti-Trump Speaker of the Georgia House,” said a statement from Moore’s office. “Colton is being held in the same Atlanta jail as President Trump. We are working to ensure his expedient release.”
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After Moore’s comments, House Jon Burns (R-Newington) announced Moore was banned from the House chambers. One House doorkeeper said this was the first time a senator had ever been banned from the House floor.
Moore made his comments during a debate on a Senate resolution last year honoring Ralston by allowing a building on the University of North Georgia’s campus to be named for the late lawmaker.
Moore, who drew fire from within his own party for his criticism of Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ investigation and subsequent indictment of Donald Trump, accused Ralston of delaying legal and judicial cases involving suspected criminals.
In September 2023, after Moore called for a special session to review Willis following her indictment of Trump, he was suspended from his party’s caucus.
Georgia Senate Republicans announced Moore would not be allowed to participate in any future caucus, citing violations of caucus rules on multiple occasions during Moore’s push to investigate Willis.
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