The state legislature has lifted the House ban after viral brawl left him hospitalized

A Georgia state senator has had his ban from the state chamber lifted after an ugly incident on Thursday in which he was thrown to the floor, arrested and subsequently hospitalized.

State Sen. Colton Moore, a die-hard supporter of President-elect Trump who previously tried to get Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to indict the former president, was involved in a heated exchange at the entrance to the House floor, where officials denied him access to attend Governor Brian Kemp’s State of the State address.

Moore, from Trenton in Dade County, ended up being shoved to the floor by Keith Williams, an attorney from House Speaker Jon Burns’ office, who was trying to enforce a ban the speaker had imposed on Moore. Moore was barred 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 now-deceased former House Speaker David Ralston.

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Moore made several attempts Thursday to get past House staffers, but was pushed back on several occasions. Then at one point William sent Moore flying, with the senator falling awkwardly to the floor. After another attempt to enter, Moore was arrested by state troopers and taken away.

Later that evening, Moore posted a video of himself sitting on a hospital bed with a blood pressure monitor strapped to one arm. His other arm was raised on the bed rail.

“I took a bit of a beating; my hand, it’s a little swollen and purple; we’re waiting to get some X-rays to check it out,” Moore said.

“Today they took away my freedom and liberty when I was fighting for your freedom and liberty. But I tell you what, we still have a constitutional duty to work and I will still be in the legislature tomorrow morning. Thank you to all of you for the support.”

Burns initially called the incident “incredibly unfortunate” and said Moore had “created a dangerous situation when he chose to use force against our law enforcement officers, dedicated doormen and house staff.” Burns said the integrity and decorum of this house was “non-negotiable – period.”

On Friday, Burns, a Republican from Newington, lifted his ban after state Senate and Republican Party leaders lined up to support Moore.

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He said Moore’s desire to “cause a stir and gain notoriety in the press broke with longstanding rules and precedents that every member of the General Assembly has a responsibility to uphold.” But he said he would admit Moore to joint sessions without an excuse because Ralston would not have wanted the legislature’s work obstructed.

“For this reason, the Ralston family has expressed to their family in this House that they wish our chamber to resume business as usual – with all members of the General Assembly present – for any future joint sessions with or without the excuse, they and the House deserve,” Burns said.

Moore’s ban stemmed from a speech he gave last year in which he blasted former Speaker Ralston, also a Republican.

Moore accused Ralston of using his office to delay trials for criminal defendants he had represented as an attorney. Ralston claimed in 2019 that his actions were perfectly legal.

“This body is recalling, in my opinion, one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders that we will ever see in my lifetime,” Moore exclaimed at the time.

This isn’t the first time Colton, a self-described “RINO wrangler,” has clashed with his Republican colleagues.

In 2023, the Georgia Republican Senate Caucus suspended Moore for attacking them for opposing his plan to impeach Willis for impeaching Trump in an election interference case.

Moore was the most prominent supporter of a special session to impeach and remove Willis or impeach her, which won Trump’s approval. Kemp denounced the call as “some grifter scam” to raise campaign contributions for Moore.

The Willis case eventually unraveled, partly because she was in a romantic relationship with a prosecutor she had hired.

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Moore was booked into the Fulton County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of willful obstruction of law enforcement.

After Moore took a mug shot mimicking one Donald Trump famously took at the same prison, a supporter posted Moore’s $1,000 bail.

Lt. Edward Starling, a trooper spokesman, said he had no update on whether the charges would be dropped.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.