The afternoon of April 11, 2025, was typical for a Friday in the Colorado House. Lawmakers debated bills and took votes on the chamber floor before adjourning to their districts for the weekend.

Democratic state Rep. Yara Zokaie, a first-term lawmaker from Fort Collins, stood next to the podium waiting to speak before a final vote on one of her bills. The chamber was relatively quiet, with members in their seats, as is the protocol when the House is taking recorded votes.

It was at that moment that the No. 3 House Republican, Minority Whip Ryan Armagost, lifted his cellphone to subtly take a picture of Zokaie from his seat in the front row of the chamber. House floor security footage reviewed by CPR News captured a quick flash of light from the phone before he angled it back down.

Armag

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