by Dave Williams | Sep 28, 2023 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The Georgia Senate Republican Caucus has suspended freshman Sen. Colton Moore after he unsuccessfully pushed for a special legislative session to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Moore, R-Trenton, mounted his bid for a special session despite Gov. Brian Kemp publicly dismissing the idea and over the objections of the other 32 Republican state senators.
In a statement issued Thursday, the caucus accused Moore of using false statements to whip up public sentiment against those opposed to a special session .
“Senator Moore has a right to his opinion,” the statement read. “However, during his advocacy for his ill-conceived proposal, Senator Moore has knowingly misled people across Georgia and our nation, causing unnecessary tension and hostility while putting his caucus colleagues and their families at risk of personal harm.”
Moore drew national attention with his call for a special legislative session. He argued lawmakers could override Kemp’s objections by signing a petition demanding a special session, but he only convinced two other legislators to sign it.
At a news conference early this month that drew a raucous crowd of sign-waving supporters, Moore accused his legislative colleagues of “cowering” rather than stepping up and insisting on a special session.
Kemp had rejected the idea one week earlier during a news conference of his own, arguing Willis had not done anything illegal.
The caucus statement went on to accuse Moore of violating caucus rules on multiple occasions.
“[Moore] was given every opportunity to simply adhere to the rules going forward,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, he has refused and was suspended by leadership from participating in the caucus until he agrees to abide by the rules, which he voted for at the beginning of his term.”
Moore was elected to the Senate last year, succeeding longtime Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, representing Senate District 53 in Northwest Georgia.
The suspension from the Republican Caucus does not preclude Moore from continuing to represent his constituents in the Senate. The suspension is indefinite.
