GOP state senator arrested in a bar fight claims he's the 'victim'

A state senator in New Hampshire, was been arrested in a bar fight, reported The Daily Beast — but he maintains he did nothing wrong.

"Keith Murphy, 47, a Republican lawmaker who was elected in 2022, was arrested on two counts of simple assault and one of criminal threatening," reported Decca Muldowney. "Police say Murphy threatened and spat on a man during an argument at Murphy’s Taproom, a bar he operates in Manchester, NH. A police spokesperson said security footage also showed Murphy 'pick up a chair in an aggressive manner.'"

In a message posted to Facebook on Monday, Murphy denied the accusations against him.

"I am innocent of these charges and I look forward to my day in court," wrote Murphy. "When the facts are known it will be clear that the police have charged the victim in this case. I will be defending my name, reputation, and business through the legal process, and I defer all further questions to my attorney, Donna Brown."

Murphy is not the first Republican state lawmaker from New Hampshire to be arrested this year. In March, state Rep. Jeffrey Greeson was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct, criminal threats, and simple assault after an incident captured on video in which he obstructed a snow plow and got in the driver's face over snow being pushed toward his property.

Arrests of state lawmakers happen from time to time across the country. In another incident, Indiana state Rep. Jim Lucas was busted on DUI, and camera footage released this week shows him laughing and joking with police as they took him away.