Allegations that the Democratic candidate failed to effectively investigate alleged sexual assaults targeting children more than 20 years ago have become a focal point in the closing weeks of the Kansas Senate campaign. The dispute over Adam Hamilton’s response to alleged child abuse at youth camps held by his church in 2005 and 2006 featured prominently in the televised debate between him and Republican Senator Roger Marshall on Wednesday, which was hosted by FOX4 (WDAF-TV). Marshall previously released an ad, as part of a $1.2 million statewide package, accusing his Democratic rival of having "protected a pedophile" during his time as lead pastor at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.
Hamilton has strongly denied covering up alleged sexual misconduct against children, with his spokesperson Tyson Brody telling Newsweek that Marshall was "turning to these desperate lies and false attacks" that had been "repeatedly debunked." "Roger Marshall is desperate to hide from his record of protecting predators and preying on low-income families in Kansas," Brody added, referring to the senator's 2025 vote to block an amendment that would have required the Justice Department to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and recent reports that Marshall—who is an obstetrician-gynecologist—sued hundreds of patients over unpaid bills. Speaking to Newsweek a Marshall campaign spokesperson commented: "Hamilton’s own words prove that he knew the pedophile should not have been allowed back to camp. He has now admitted three separate times that he made a mistake and should have called the police." Democrats are hoping to take control of the Senate at the November midterms and victory in Kansas, which last elected a Democratic senator in 1932, would be a boost in that effort.
Losing one or both chambers of Congress would significantly impede President Donald Trump’s ability to get legislation passed during the final two years of his second term. Recent polling in Kansas has indicated a tight race with several polls putting the two candidates in a statistical tie. Hamilton founded the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, the largest Methodist congregation in the United States, in 1990.
In 2005 the church organized a youth retreat in Linn County during which two teenage boys said they were touched inappropriately during the night by a man, later identified in court papers as volunteer Scott Preston Moore. According to the court filings, the boys reported the incident to the camp leadership who were initially "dismissive of their claims," but later conducted an internal investigation into the allegations. The Kansas Reflector reported the investigation was conducted by Randy Meyer, a church employee, and volunteer Nancy Brown.
Speaking to the publication, Sue Thompson, who worked at Resurrection between 1996 and 2019 including as Hamilton’s assistant, said neither was qualified for the role. This investigation concluded that "neither boy was able to make out the features of the suspect or positively identify the defendant due to the darkness of the room and the blinding light that had been shined directly at their faces." Moore was allowed to return as a cabin leader to the church’s youth retreat the following year. During the 2006 retreat, Moore was accused of entering teenage boys' rooms at night, though they do not explicitly allege any sexual abuse.
In response, church leaders reported the incident to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and included details about the 2005 allegations. A Linn County prosecutor declined to bring charges over the case. According to court documents, seen by the Kansas Reflector, Hamilton also "encouraged" a man who alleged Moore abused him in 1979 to go to the police, even though the statute of limitations had expired.
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