In the final hours of a special session on Tuesday, Colorado lawmakers voted to denounce former Rep. Ryan Armagost for his role in an incident involving a photo of Rep. Yara Zokaie, sparking a heated exchange between party leaders.

On April 11, Armagost, the third-ranking member of the House Republican caucus, took a photo of Democrat Zokaie and mocked her appearance.

Democrats pushed the resolution, rather than a censure that had been planned for last week, because Armagost had already resigned from the House. A censure would not have applied to a non-member of the chamber.

The resolution’s reading turned into a battle between the majority and minority leaders.

Armagost had immediately resigned when news broke about the censure resolution last Thursday. He had already announced in June that he intended to resign on Sept. 1 to move to Arizona.

He was not at the Capitol for the special session. 

At the time of the April incident, Armagost chaired the House’s Workplace Harassment Committee. Minority Leader Rep. Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Spring removed him from that position days before Colorado Public Radio published a story on the incident in early August.

Zokaie recounted the incident to House members on Tuesday, all of whom stood while she spoke.

The photo first appeared on Signal, an encrypted app that allows members of the Republican House caucus to send messages to each other. 

Some of the members of the caucus made crude comments about Zokaie on the Signal chat, according to Colorado Public Radio. Some apologized; others did not, the radio station reported.  

The photo was posted on a conservative social media account on X, and a poll followed, asking people’s opinions about Zokaie’s appearance.

Zokaie said the posts led to threats against her and her children. 

“This has been a coordinated harassment campaign,” Zokaie said, adding speaking about it will make it worse.

“It is indicative of a greater issue that exists in culture against women,” she said, adding, “I am so disappointed to see women perpetuate that culture.”

House Majority Leader Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, who co-sponsored the resolution, along with Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, said, “This is not about one incident, this is about a culture, a mindset, that says women in public service are fair game (to be humiliated).”

It tells Coloradans the state Capitol is not a place of public service but a locker room, Bacon added. 

“To my colleagues across the aisle, you should be ashamed,” she said. “You have not just failed, but also failed to uphold the principles the House is supposed to abide by.

Zokaie had accused Pugliese, the minority leader, of knowing about the incident when Zokaie came to her about a week later to ask who took the photo. The Republican already knew, Zokaie claimed.

Pugliese began by apologizing to Zokaie. 

“I do not believe the behavior exhibited was right. I have seen degrading behavior from both sides of the aisle,” she said. “We must do better as an institution.”  

However, the Republican leader disputed both the claims by Zokies and Duran and shared an open records request, showing that video footage of the incident had been requested by the chief clerk of the House. That request showed the approximate time the photo was taken. Pugliese said she was unaware of the Signal chat. She was not at the Capitol on April 11 and did not return until the April 14.

When she returned, she realized that it was Armagost, and she said she talked to Duran and told her it was Armagost.

Pugliese criticized what she called challenges to her character and integrity, primarily by Duran.

“My character has been assaulted, and I have a right to defend myself,” she said. “I have had to clear my name, and that’s unfair.”

She added: I am not a liar.”

“There are two sides to this story,” Duran replied. “I’m trying to move forward.”

She added: “The point of this day is to acknowledge what one of your members did to a member of mine. If you want to talk about your character or lack of character or honesty, let’s have that conversation. I won’t have that conversation here in this well, in this moment. Everyone here deserves better than this … I will not have my character impugned or be made into a liar because of your perception. I find it offensive that you used this moment to say something like this.”

Pugliese stormed out of the chamber.

Until recently, the relationship between Duran and Pugliese had largely been collegial, with the two meeting or talking multiple times every day, even when things get contentious in the House.

Rep. Scott Bottoms, R-Colorado Springs, said how people treat each other in the Capitol is “egregious. I’m sorry it happened to her.” There’s no respect in this building, he said.

Rep. Ken DeGraaf, R-Colorado Springs, questioned why the resolution was being brought up during the special session, rather than during the last three weeks of the regular session.

Rep. Stephanie Luck, R-Penrose, attempted to play peacemaker with an amendment that called out what she said was coarse, dehumanizing language, growing disrespect and distrust that members of the public amplify. 

“Each of us has an obligation to uphold the integrity of the House,” the amendment said. 

Duran rejected Luck’s amendment, saying while she couldn’t agree with the language, she and and the Republican appeared to be on the same page. The amendment failed on a party-line vote.

Last week, Armagost noted the censure resolution on X, in a reply to someone who commented on a story on that resolution posted by Colorado Politics.

“Why did it matter if the crazy Dems censured you?” he was asked.

“No, taking their power away so that my R colleagues don’t have to speak on a resolution for censure where their words would be used against them by liberal media, no matter speaking in support or against the resolution,” he wrote. “This is what the leftist leaders want but I will take the hit rather than the caucus or the party. This on my way out to new professional and personal ventures in AZ? Typical distract and deflect technique. We all need to stand up and speak up against them and their lunacy, not our own party…”

The resolution passed on a 59-2 vote, with Reps. Brandi Bradley and DeGraaf voting no. Luck was excused from the vote, although she was at her desk at the time.

Pugliese also voted in favor of the resolution.