ATLANTA — A Georgia lawmaker who extended his middle finger in a group photo of the state House apologized Tuesday, calling the gesture “inappropriate.”
Rep. Dominic LaRiccia told lawmakers on the state House floor that he was the “goofball” who thought it would be “cute, or naughty or a little funny to make a gesture with my bird finger.”
“And none of that was cute or funny, but it was definitely naughty and inappropriate,” the Republican lawmaker said. “I apologize. I hope that you’ll extend a little bit of grace and forgiveness. I love you, and I love this House.”
LaRiccia has fallen out of favor with some Republicans in recent years and was drawn into the same district with another GOP legislator during redistricting, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He is not running for reelection.
He told the newspaper he wasn’t being vengeful. He also said he didn’t think the camera used to take the group photo caught the gesture.
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