State senator pushed to the ground, arrested while trying to enter Georgia House chamber
2025-01-17
Category: political

A Georgia state senator and hardline supporter of President-elect Trump appeared to be pushed to the floor before being arrested while trying to enter the state House chamber on Thursday.&nbsp; State Sen. Colton Moore, who previously tried to have Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis impeached for indicting Trump, tried to enter the House floor to attend Gov. Brian Kemp's State of the State Address — but was ultimately led away in handcuffs. Moore is currently banned from entering the chamber after he blasted the state Senate's decision last year to consider a resolution to name a building at the University of North Georgia after the now-deceased former speaker David Ralston.  GEORGIA LAWMAKER SAYS WHISTLEBLOWER ALERTED HIM OF SECRET MIGRANT ROOM AT AIRPORT "This body is about to memorialize, in my opinion, one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders that we are ever going to see in my lifetime," Moore exclaimed at the time. On Wednesday, Moore wrote to current House Speaker Jon Burns outlining why he thought the ban was unconstitutional and said he intended to be at today’s joint session. "I will NEVER back down," Moore wrote on X, sharing the letter he penned to Burns. "I will ALWAYS speak the truth and represent the people of Northwest Georgia as their trusted America First Senator." But when he tried to enter the chamber on Thursday, he was met by a wall of resistance and appeared to be pushed back by an attending doorman.  Moore told state troopers in attendance that he had a constitutional right to enter and that a doorman should be arrested for breaking the law.&nbsp; "This is a joint session of the General Assembly. Your House rules do not apply," Moore told the men. "I'm going into the chamber." Unable to get in, Moore asked a state trooper whether he was stopping him from entering. The trooper appeared to say that the doormen were responsible for who entered.&nbsp; A scuffle ensued, with video showing Moore appearing to be pushed to the floor by one of the doormen. He was then surrounded by state troopers and subsequently arrested.&nbsp; TRUMP CHEERS DISQUALIFICATION OF 'CORRUPT' FANI WILLIS, SAYS CASE IS 'ENTIRELY DEAD' Fox News Digital reached out to Georgia state police, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office and the state speaker about the scuffle but did not receive a response in time for publication.&nbsp; Moore said that the state was "ruled by authoritarians" on his way out and that the ban was censorship of his voice as an elected official. Georgia Republican chairman Josh McKoon said that he was "deeply disappointed" that Moore had been denied admission to the chamber and "shocked" that he had been taken into custody. "It was not only legally appropriate to admit him to today’s proceedings — it was simply the right thing to do," McKoon wrote in a statement to FOX 5 Atlanta. "Our focus should be on the excellent agenda being outlined by Governor Kemp today to continue to make Georgia the best place in the country to live, work, and raise a family — not internal conflicts." In 2023,&nbsp;Georgia’s Republican Senate Caucus suspended Moore for attacking them for opposing his plan to impeach Willis for indicting Trump in an election interference case.  CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "The Georgia RINOs responded to my call to fight back against the Trump witch hunts by acting like children and throwing me out of the caucus," Moore&nbsp;wrote on X at the time. "But I’m not going anywhere." Moore was the most prominent backer of a special session to impeach and remove Willis or defund her office, winning Trump’s endorsement. Kemp denounced the call as "some grifter scam" to raise campaign contributions for Moore. The Willis case eventually unraveled, due&nbsp;in part to her having a romantic relationship with a prosecutor she had hired. The Associated Press contributed to this report.&nbsp;