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Written by: E. George
Published January 19, 2025 @ 5:10 PM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – On Thursday morning, tensions reached a boiling point at Georgia’s State Capitol, culminating in the arrest of State Senator Colton Moore. Representing parts of North Georgia, Moore was detained by Georgia Capitol Police while attempting to attend the annual State of the State address. The incident unfolded just outside the House Chamber as Moore, defying orders, tried to enter, leading to a confrontation with law enforcement.
A video from Channel 2 Action News captured the moments before Moore’s arrest. The footage shows Moore, visibly agitated, trying to gain entry into the chamber, only to be blocked and eventually forcibly removed by officers.
He was charged with “willfully obstructing law enforcement” after the Georgia Department of Public Safety reported that Moore “created a disruption outside the House Chamber.” Despite multiple warnings and several efforts by law enforcement to de-escalate the situation, the senator continued his attempts to enter the House.
The disturbance escalated when Moore reportedly pushed into troopers several times. Following his arrest, Moore was granted a $1,000 surety bond, according to records from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
The dispute stems from ongoing political tensions surrounding Moore’s past actions and statements. The day before the arrest, Moore had penned a strongly worded letter to House Speaker Jon Burns, condemning Burns’ directive barring him from the chamber.
Moore referred to the letter as “unconstitutional, illegal, and the most disgraceful piece of correspondence issued by a legislator” in Georgia’s history. This directive came after Moore made derogatory remarks about former House Speaker David Ralston, who passed away in 2022. These remarks, made during a tribute to Ralston, led to Moore’s banishment from the chamber.
This latest development is only the most recent chapter in Moore’s contentious political career. He previously attempted to initiate an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, particularly regarding her investigation and subsequent indictment of President-elect Donald Trump.
These efforts, including calls for a special session to impeach Willis, were swiftly rejected by both Speaker Burns and Governor Brian Kemp. Governor Kemp even criticized Moore’s fundraising tactics related to the controversy, calling it “some grifter’s scam.”
Thursday’s incident also highlighted a larger divide within Georgia’s political landscape, with lawmakers reacting in various ways to Moore’s arrest.
Republican Majority Leader Chuck Efstration framed the situation as a matter of House rules, emphasizing that Speaker Burns had the authority and responsibility to maintain order within the chamber. “The Speaker of the House has full responsibility of maintaining order and decorum in the House Chamber,” Efstration said, underscoring that Burns had fulfilled that role on the day of the incident.
However, not all lawmakers were in agreement about Moore’s exclusion. Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones’ office issued a statement expressing concerns that Moore’s treatment undermined the rights of all elected legislators. “Whatever personal differences Senator Moore has with others, he is a member of the body over which I preside,” the statement read. “All elected 56 senators and 180 representatives deserve the opportunity to fulfill their responsibility to attend joint sessions of the General Assembly.”
In a defiant response to his arrest, Moore posted a quote from Governor Kemp’s State of the State speech on social media, saying, “If you’ve been done wrong, you deserve justice.” This statement seemed to echo Moore’s personal belief that he had been unjustly prevented from carrying out his duties as an elected official.
As the situation unfolded, Speaker Jon Burns’ office issued a statement addressing the incident, expressing gratitude toward the staff and law enforcement involved. “The situation outside the House Chamber this morning was incredibly unfortunate,” Burns said.
He described Moore’s actions as creating a “dangerous situation” and praised the House staff for maintaining order in accordance with the “integrity and decorum” of the institution.