{"id":2391308,"date":"2025-01-16T15:58:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T20:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ga-speaker-arrests-gop-senator-who-criticized-his-predecessor\/"},"modified":"2025-01-16T15:59:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T20:59:16","slug":"ga-speaker-arrests-gop-senator-who-criticized-his-predecessor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ga-speaker-arrests-gop-senator-who-criticized-his-predecessor\/","title":{"rendered":"GA Speaker Arrests GOP Senator Who Criticized His Predecessor"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fga-speaker-arrests-gop-senator-who-criticized-his-predecessor%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2391308&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Georgia&#8217;s Republican \u2063House Speaker had State Senator Colton Moore arrested on Thursday when he attempted \u200cto join fellow legislators for Governor Brian Kemp&#8217;s State of the state address. Footage\u200c showed Moore being denied entry into the House of Representatives and allegedly being pushed to the ground by Georgia State Patrol officers before his detention. Moore expressed his duty to represent the 200,000 constituents in Northwest Georgia who elected him.His attorney confirmed the arrest, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/grand-jury-indicts-daniel-penny-in-death-of-jordan-neely-reports\/\" title=\"Daniel Penny has been indicted by a grand jury in the death of Jordan Neely, according to reports.\">charges remain unclear<\/a>. Moore had previously been expelled from the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus for advocating an \u2064investigation into Fulton County&#8217;s District Attorney and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-temporarily-reinstates-biden-admins-ghost-gun-rule\/\" title=\"SCOTUS temporarily restores Biden&#039;s &#039;Ghost Gun&#039; rule.\">legal challenges faced<\/a>\u2063 by Republicans regarding the 2020 election. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/talk-between-biden-and-obama-during-funeral-allegedly-about-kamala-she-may-not-like-what-they-said\/\" title=\"Talk Between Biden and Obama During Funeral Allegedly About Kamala: She May Not Like What They Said\">incident reflects ongoing tensions<\/a> in Georgia&#8217;s legislative environment,\u200b fueled further by\u2062 Moore&#8217;s past criticisms of former Speaker David Ralston and his handling of \u2063legal matters.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Georgia&rsquo;s Republican House speaker had a GOP state senator arrested on Thursday for attempting to join fellow legislators in a convening of the state&rsquo;s general assembly.<\/p>\n<p>The incident occurred when Sen. Colton Moore tried to access the House of Representatives to attend Gov. Brian Kemp&rsquo;s State of the State address. Footage of the incident appears to show Moore trying to enter the lower chamber while being rebuffed by Georgia State Patrol officers, who seemingly shoved the senator to the ground before detaining him.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have an obligation to be in that room. I represent 200,000 people in Northwest Georgia who duly elected me to be here today, and you&rsquo;re hindering that,&rdquo; Moore said. <\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox5atlanta.com\/news\/state-senator-colton-moore-arrest-house-chamber-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fox 5 Atlanta<\/a>, Moore&rsquo;s attorney &ldquo;confirmed that the senator was arrested and taken to the Fulton County Jail,&rdquo; although it remains unknown &ldquo;what charges [he] may be facing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Moore was notably <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chattanoogan.com\/2023\/9\/28\/475700\/Senator-Colton-Moore-Removed-From.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">kicked out<\/a> of the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus in late 2023 after he <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/08\/17\/georgia-senator-pushes-gov-kemp-to-convene-legislature-to-probe-fulton-countys-get-trump-witch-hunt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">called<\/a> on the state&rsquo;s GOP leadership to investigate Fulton County DA Fani Willis&rsquo; lawfare against President-elect Donald Trump and more than a dozen other Republicans regarding their actions in the 2020 election. As The Federalist&rsquo;s Tristan Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/12\/19\/georgia-get-trump-case-likely-over-after-fani-willis-and-her-entire-team-are-disqualified\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, the Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis and her office from the case last month &ldquo;after a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">scandals exposed gross impropriety<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>Colton Moore, a loyal, hardworking, pro-Trump Georgia State Senator, was handcuffed and arrested by the House Speaker after attempting to attend the State of the State session to fulfill his duties.<\/p>\n<p>Previously suspended from the GOP caucus for helping lead the charge to end the&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oiyydOhGpS\">pic.twitter.com\/oiyydOhGpS<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&mdash; Bruce LeVell (@Bruce_LeVell) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Bruce_LeVell\/status\/1879938160764891349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Thursday&rsquo;s saga stems from a dust-up that occurred last year in which Moore, a member of the Georgia Freedom Caucus, criticized late Speaker David Ralston, the predecessor of current Speaker Jon Burns.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate was considering a resolution that sought to name a building at a Georgia university after Ralston. While speaking in opposition to the measure, Moore reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox5atlanta.com\/news\/state-senator-colton-moore-arrest-house-chamber-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>, &ldquo;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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>During his time as speaker, Ralston, who also worked as an attorney, faced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsbtv.com\/news\/2-investigates\/families-accuse-state-speaker-of-the-house-of-intentionally-delaying-court-cases\/919113283\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accusations<\/a> of using legal maneuvers to slow-walk trial proceedings in a case in which he represented a man indicted by a grand jury after being accused of raping a 14-year-old girl. The man <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/crime\/georgia-pastor-avoids-jail-sexually-abused-teen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pleaded guilty<\/a> to sexually assaulting the girl in 2019, receiving 10 years of probation and no prison time.<\/p>\n<p>The prosecution <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/crime\/georgia-pastor-avoids-jail-sexually-abused-teen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a> blamed the light sentencing on the delays in the case.<\/p>\n<p>After denouncing Moore&rsquo;s criticisms of Ralston, Burns reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox5atlanta.com\/news\/state-senator-colton-moore-arrest-house-chamber-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">informed<\/a> the senator shortly after his remarks that he would not be permitted to access the House. Burns sent a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25492378-speaker-jon-burns-letter-to-senator-colton-moore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a> to Moore on Jan. 14 notifying him that he is &ldquo;not allowed to enter the House Chamber&rdquo; to attend Kemp&rsquo;s Thursday address unless he &ldquo;deliver[s] a sincere apology to the family, extended family, and loved ones of former Speaker David Ralston from the floor of the Senate&rdquo; before then. <\/p>\n<p>Moore responded to Burns in a letter on Wednesday, calling the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-strategizing-to-bypass-democrats-in-order-to-advance-trumps-agenda-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Republicans strategizing to bypass Democrats in order to advance Trump&#039;s agenda - Washington Examiner\">speaker&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s notice &ldquo;unconstitutional, illegal, and the most disgraceful piece of correspondence issued by a legislator in the history of the State of Georgia.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>The GOP senator cited the <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-02\/state_constitution.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Georgia Constitution<\/a>, which states, &ldquo;The members of both houses shall be free from arrest during sessions of the General Assembly, or committee meetings thereof, and in going thereto or returning therefrom, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace. No member shall be liable to answer in any other place for anything spoken in either house or in any committee meeting of either house.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>&#128680;TYRANT ALERT&#128680;<\/p>\n<p>Speaker <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JonBurnsGA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@JonBurnsGA<\/a> is attempting to ARREST and BLOCK me from representing the 53rd District at tomorrow&rsquo;s State of the State joint session. <\/p>\n<p>I will NEVER back down. <\/p>\n<p>I will ALWAYS speak the truth and represent the people of Northwest Georgia as their trusted&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zl9R4H1EmY\">pic.twitter.com\/zl9R4H1EmY<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&mdash; Sen. Colton Moore (@realColtonMoore) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realColtonMoore\/status\/1879605002802725102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 15, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Conservatives quickly denounced Moore&rsquo;s arrest after video of the incident went viral on X. <\/p>\n<p>Speaking with The Federalist, State Freedom Caucus Network President Andy Roth noted that the Peach State&rsquo;s founding document &ldquo;is crystal clear on this matter&rdquo; and criticized Burns for his conduct.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Colton was duly elected by his constituents. He represents over 170,000 people and their voices were ignored when Speaker Burns unlawfully banned Colton from attending the governor&rsquo;s address,&rdquo; Roth said. &ldquo;Burns should be censured and forced to apologize.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>DeKalb County GOP Chair Marci McCarthy similarly lambasted Moore&rsquo;s arrest, which she called &ldquo;a shameful abuse of power and a troubling distraction from the work Georgians elected their leaders to do.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As a duly elected representative, Sen. Moore has a constitutional duty to serve his constituents, and today&rsquo;s actions by Speaker Jon Burns are both retaliatory, petty and unbecoming of his office,&rdquo; McCarthy told The Federalist. &ldquo;Silencing voices through heavy-handed tactics undermines the integrity of the legislative process and sets a dangerous precedent at a time when leaders should be focused on addressing the real issues facing our nation and the great state of Georgia.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Georgia&#8217;s House speaker arrested GOP Sen. Colton Moore for trying to attend the State of the State address<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2391309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Colton-Moore.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4283,40657,5654],"class_list":["post-2391308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-arrests","tag-ga","tag-speaker"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Colton-Moore.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2391308"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2391312,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391308\/revisions\/2391312"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2391309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2391308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2391308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2391308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}