Kansas Senate Nominee’s Ties to Obama’s Clemency Initiatives
Kansas Democrat Senate candidate Adam Hamilton, who is taking on incumbent Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), previously served on an advisory council under President Barack Obama. This council suggested broadening the criteria for presidential pardons and commutations.
Hamilton, the senior pastor at the Church of the Resurrection, was involved in Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In a 2016 report titled “Strengthening Efforts to Increase Opportunity and End Poverty,” the council advocated for expanding eligibility for commutations and pardons and proposed considering “Targeted Categorical Grants.” Most members endorsed these recommendations, with one abstaining.
The report highlighted positive outcomes from Obama’s Clemency Initiative, introduced in 2014, allowing certain incarcerated individuals to apply for pardons or sentence reductions. Applicants needed to have served at least ten years, exhibited good behavior, and not have a violent history or connections to drug trafficking organizations.
“The outcomes of this program have already been favorable, and we encourage the Administration to explore options to expand these efforts even further,” the council noted.
They also urged the president to consider targeted grants for specific groups of prisoners, drawing parallels to earlier actions by Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. The report suggested identifying offenders serving sentences deemed excessively long for their crimes or those who had successfully reintegrated into society.
Several individuals who benefitted from commutations under Obama later returned to criminal activity, including Alton Mills, implicated in a murder case, Joseph Burgos, involved in a drug-trafficking case with a significant amount of fentanyl, and Bobby Gill, who faced new drug charges after being released from prison.
Mills is accused of killing Linda Chatman during a road-rage incident, with law enforcement claiming he fired shots into her vehicle. The judge denied his bail request while awaiting trial.
Burgos became a suspect in drug trafficking after being monitored by the DEA, who discovered he had extensive past drug convictions, including one that led to a lengthy prison sentence commuted by Obama.
Gill, who had approximately 25 years in prison before his 2015 release, was arrested just over a year later for possessing cocaine. He subsequently received another prison sentence.
Hamilton’s connections to Obama-era discussions extend to immigration topics as well. In January 2016, the council’s report highlighted the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants, arguing against practices that separate families and impose economic strain.
Recently, Hamilton expressed solidarity with protests against ICE actions, indicating he would support similar demonstrations in Kansas City. Additionally, reports surfaced that he voted for Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election and contributed to her campaign, expressing concerns over the vulnerable and discussing his views on justice and political leadership.
