Updated 7:43 p.m.
The Colorado House overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning former Republican Rep. Ryan Armagost for taking a picture of a Democratic colleague on the chamber floor last session without her knowledge and sharing it with the Republican House caucus in an internal group chat.
The resolution notes that, along with the photo of Rep. Yara Zokaie, Armagost also posted “comments that were subsequently deleted, prompting degrading and sexualizing remarks from multiple legislators who compared their colleague to a prostitute and stripper, made jokes about the ‘oldest profession’, and further mocked her appearance.”
Shortly after Armagost took the picture of Zokaie, an anonymous social media account with conservative followers posted it online. Zokaie, addressing her colleagues on Tuesday, described what followed as a coordinated harassment campaign.
“By the time I made it back to my chair, I was facing an onslaught of harassment, vile messages that I do not feel comfortable repeating, sexual messages about my appearance, racist messages, and then it escalated,” she said, adding that the harassment went from social media to emails and voicemails.
“It went from messages that were gross and mean to threats of rape threats against me and the worst. A message with my kids' school address that said, ‘I know what time pickup is. What's about to happen to them is your fault.’ My kids are eight, six, and two.”
She also called out her Republican colleagues.
“A number of you made comments about my appearance in that chat. You called me a stripper and a prostitute. Some of you sat silently by. You are complicit too.”
Democrats originally planned to censure Armagost, the most severe form of reprimand at the statehouse short of an expulsion. However Armagost, who is moving out of state and had already planned to step down at the start of September, resigned on the eve of the vote.
He has declined to comment to CPR News about why he took Zokaie’s photograph and shared it with his colleagues. But over the weekend, Armagost wrote a post on X comparing himself to an eagle that deals with attackers by flying above them and vowing to move back to the state eventually to keep working on conservative causes.
“Let the crows talk... Let them peck... You don’t have to respond... Just keep going higher… They can’t follow you forever... Your growth will suffocate their noise... So don’t engage... Elevate!!!” Armagost wrote.
Zokaie and other Democrats have also expressed their disappointment and anger that House Minority leader Rose Pugliese didn’t step in earlier to address the issue.
“To minority leadership: I should have been able to work with you. Instead, we had to work around you,” said Zokaie.
Pugliese took to the microphone during discussion of the resolution to strongly push back on the claim that she covered up for Armagost and misled Democrats about the situation. She said she was not even in the chamber the day in question, when the photo circulated among her caucus.
“I didn't see the Signal chat. You don't have to believe me,” said Pugliese to Zokaie. “I am telling you I didn't see the Signal chat.” Pugliese said she was focused on trying to find out who posted the picture on the internet, something that remains unknown.
Pugliese and all but two House Republicans joined with Democrats in voting for the resolution. But while Republicans who spoke Tuesday condemned the photo and the Signal comments, they also criticized Democrats for focusing on this particular incident and not holding themselves accountable for online and in person conduct attacking GOP lawmakers.
“I do not believe the behavior that was exhibited was right. And I have seen degrading, degrading behavior from both sides of the aisle,” said Pugliese.
Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley, one of the GOP members who commented in the Signal thread comparing Zokaie’s outfit to a stripper’s, said she personally has been called transphobic, a bigot, and a zealot, and that Democrats have made fun of her both in the House chamber and in their own private messages.
After CPR News first reported on the GOP Signal chat, Bradley apologized to Zokaie for her comments in it.
“I was sorry because two wrongs do not make a right. I am not proud of what I said. As a woman, I am not proud, and I'm going to show my children that I can do better in this place,” she said Tuesday. “But you guys need to look yourselves in the mirror too, because making fun of women and sharing things about me while you stand up here pretending like you don't, because (the media) won't write about your caucus thread. Please, do better too, and I will as well.”
Tensions between top Democrat and Republican boil over at the microphone
Emotions were heated during the resolution discussion, which was the final act of an at-times contentious special session.
“You should be ashamed, ashamed that this happened among your ranks, ashamed that instead of protecting the dignity of this chamber, some chose to protect the perpetrator,” Democratic House Majority Leader Monica Duran told Republicans. “The people of Colorado expect more from you. You have not just failed one colleague, but you have failed the very principles this house is meant to uphold.”
The debate brought to the fore the fracture between Duran and Minority Leader Pugliese, who previously have had a close personal and working relationship.
In a particularly tense back-and-forth, the two leaders each accused the other of mishandling the incident.
They have differing accounts about whether Pugliese told Duran that Armagost took the photograph of Zokaie. The two talked a few days after the image started circulating on social media, when Democrats were still unaware of the GOP Signal chat. Democrats could tell from the photo angle it was taken from the Republican side of the chamber, but didn’t know by whom. Duran has said she asked for Pugliese’s help in figuring out who took it.
“When having an opportunity, an opportunity to lead this caucus, to show leadership skills of really trying to pull people together, you have failed,” Duran told Pugliese on the chamber floor.
During her turn at the microphone, Pugliese repeated her assertion that she told Duran at the time who took the photograph.
Pugliese said public records show that the non-partisan chief clerk of the House received security footage a week after the incident. Pugliese blamed Duran for not telling Zokaie or other Democratic members in those final weeks of session that it was Armagost who took the photo, and accused Duran of keeping quiet to avoid derailing her own legislation.
“And I'm sorry that she had bills with Representative Armagost, that was more important than your safety,” Pugliese said to Zokaie to audible gasps and groans from Democrats. The moment led Speaker Julie McCluskie to break in with her gavel to try to redirect the conversation.
“My integrity, my character has been assaulted and I have the right to defend myself,” said Pugliese. “You all can think whatever you want of me. Me and my God, we know the truth.”
When Duran took to the podium to respond, Pugliese threw up her hands and stormed out of the chamber. Duran said Pugliese’s comments were disappointing.
“If you want to talk about your character or lack of character or honesty, let's have that conversation. But I will not have that conversation here, in this moment, because everyone that's here deserves better than this. And so do the people of Colorado.”
Duran, too, said she would not have her own character impugned, “or be made into a liar because of your perception. I really, really find it offensive that you use this moment, this moment to say something like this. Very disappointing.”
Duran and Pugliese’s relationship has been a source of bipartisanship and was seen as the key reason the floor work moved so smoothly during the last legislative session, with few late nights and very little weekend work. The Majority Leader manages the floor and schedules bills for the calendar, and Pugliese and Duran worked together to coordinate how much time the GOP would want to debate different items, navigating the scheduling logistics of a lot of competing demands and political priorities.
It’s not clear how this rupture between them at the end of the special session may impact that dynamic when lawmakers return for their next regular session in January.
Editor's Note: The headline on this story has been changed to reflect the largely bipartisan vote on the condemnation resolution.
