Kansas Democrat Adam Hamilton acknowledged during a heated Senate debate Wednesday night that he erred by not preventing a volunteer accused of sexual abuse in 2005 from attending a retreat where he allegedly harmed another boy.
Hamilton, a Methodist pastor leading the largest church in Kansas, is currently facing attacks from incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall regarding Scott Moore, a now-convicted sex offender who faced allegations of molestation at church retreats in 2005 and 2006.
The Democratic candidate explained that an internal investigation into the allegations from two boys back in 2005 was “inconclusive,” and the police later agreed. Still, he maintains that Moore should not have been allowed to return to the church in 2006.
“I was actually preaching that weekend at Church of the Resurrection, and I didn’t approve his return. I should have verified that he wasn’t coming back,” Hamilton stated.
“That was a mistake on my part. However, when he was investigated the following year, we prohibited him from working with youth or children again. He left our church feeling angry and upset. And, crucially, we played a significant role years later in having him arrested and convicted.”
Moore was convicted in 2013 for misdemeanor sexual battery after an incident involving his son’s friend during a 2010 sleepover. Young members from Hamilton’s church who alleged abuse testified against him.
In November 2005, one boy, aged 15, claimed that Moore touched him inappropriately, while another 14-year-old reported Moore reaching inside his sleeping bag at an overnight retreat.
Court documents later indicated that the victims had provided “detailed” accounts to church officials, yet they were unable to identify Moore positively at that time.
Moore returned as a volunteer in November 2006 and allegedly inappropriately touched a 15-year-old boy. Although the church notified the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the county attorney did not pursue charges.
Hamilton mentioned in July that he “absolutely” would have approached the situation differently looking back, while insisting “there was no attempt at a cover-up.”
During an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday, Hamilton expressed that it was “not completely clear what had happened at the time [in 2005] and who exactly had done this,” adding that Moore “should have never been there [in 2006]. These were mistakes that were made.”
Marshall, too, faced scrutiny over fresh allegations, including that he sued 700 patients from his medical practice for unpaid bills.
He defended the litigation decisions, stating they were “out of our hands” once unpaid bills were sent to collections, asserting that this is a common practice among other doctors and hospitals.
The Kansas Senate race appears to be tightly contested, based on recent polling, as Hamilton aims to position himself as a moderate Democrat, voicing criticism of former President Joe Biden’s border policies and expressing discontent with the increasingly prominent socialist faction within the party.
