Politics · North America

Adam Hamilton says he failed to report church-camp allegations to police

Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of a major United Methodist church, said he would have handled 2005–06 camp allegations against volunteer Scott Moore differently. Roger Marshall’s campaign is spending $1.2 million on statewide ads about Hamilton’s response.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 4 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 4 outletsHow it's made

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4 outletsLatest reporting Oct 19, 5:55 PM UTC4 min read

Coverage: Mostly RightL 0 · C 1 · R 2 · 1 unrated

Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

Adam Hamilton is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kansas (per Breitbart).
Roger Marshall, a Republican senator from Kansas and Hamilton’s challenger, said Hamilton failed to call police about a person accused of targeting children at the church camp (per Breitbart).
The CNN reporter asked Hamilton whether he would have done anything differently, and Hamilton answered, “Absolutely.” (per Breitbart).
Scott Moore, a church volunteer, was accused of molesting teenage boys at two retreats in 2005 and 2006 (per Breitbart).
Hamilton has served as lead pastor at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood for more than three decades (per Breitbart).
Marshall’s advertisement alleges that Hamilton let Moore return as a camp counselor in 2006 after allegations from two of Moore’s victims were ignored (per Breitbart).
Marshall’s advertisement is part of a $1.2 million campaign buy scheduled to run statewide on broadcast, cable and streaming services beginning that weekend (per Breitbart).

The brief

Adam Hamilton, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kansas, told a CNN reporter he would have handled a situation differently after Roger Marshall said Hamilton failed to call police over allegations involving a church volunteer. Breitbart reported that Marshall, a Republican senator from Kansas and Hamilton’s challenger, shared a clip of Hamilton’s interview. In it, the reporter asked whether Hamilton would have done anything differently; Hamilton replied, “Absolutely.”

Marshall described the matter as Hamilton’s failure to report a person he called a pedophile at the church camp. That characterization comes from Marshall’s statement, as quoted by Breitbart. The account identifies Scott Moore as a church volunteer accused of molesting teenage boys at two retreats in 2005 and 2006; it does not report a conviction or court finding against Moore. Hamilton has served as lead pastor at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood for more than three decades, Breitbart reported. The outlet says a Democratic primary opponent had criticized Hamilton over the church’s employment of Moore. Its account does not provide that opponent’s name or describe a response from Hamilton to the criticism beyond his answer in the CNN clip. Marshall’s campaign advertisement makes a further allegation about what happened after the accusations. According to Breitbart, the ad says Hamilton allowed Moore to return as a camp counselor in 2006 after allegations from two of Moore’s victims were ignored. The account attributes that assertion to the advertisement; it does not independently establish the alleged return or how the church handled the accusations. Marshall also accused Hamilton of using glossy campaign advertisements to lie about the matter, Breitbart reported. That is Marshall’s characterization, not an independently established finding in the account. The article gives no response from Hamilton to that accusation. The ad is part of a $1.2 million campaign buy, which Breitbart said was set to run statewide on broadcast, cable and streaming services beginning that weekend. The account therefore places the exchange in the context of the Senate campaign: Marshall is criticizing Hamilton over the allegations and Hamilton’s handling of them, while the ad is scheduled for statewide distribution. The reported clip records Hamilton’s brief answer to the reporter, while Marshall’s advertisement and remarks supply the allegations about police reporting and Moore’s return to camp work.

Why it matters

The allegations concern teenage boys at two church retreats in 2005 and 2006, and Marshall says Hamilton failed to contact police.
Marshall’s advertisement alleges Moore returned as a camp counselor in 2006 after accusations from two alleged victims were ignored.
The claims are being used in the Kansas Senate campaign, and Marshall’s ad buy is valued at $1.2 million for statewide broadcast, cable and streaming distribution.

What to watch next

Whether Hamilton addresses Marshall’s accusation that he failed to call police.
Whether Hamilton responds to Marshall’s claim that campaign advertisements about the matter were misleading.
Whether Marshall’s advertisement runs statewide on broadcast, cable and streaming services as scheduled.
Whether Hamilton or the church addresses the ad’s allegation about Moore returning as a camp counselor in 2006.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details

4 source articles · 4 unique outlets

Outlet political mix: Mostly Right· 1 Center · 2 Right · 1 unrated

Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 100%

Outlet political mix

Mostly Right

Left

Center

Right

0 outlets

1 outlet

2 outlets

The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.

Geography

Where the outlets covering this story are based.

4 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada

All4 US/CA4 · 100%

Coverage imbalance

Coverage is currently concentrated among outlets based in US/Canada (4 of 4 geographically-identified sources).

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Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.

1990
Church of the Resurrection was founded by Adam Hamilton in 1990 in the Kansas City area.
Background · from our historical context
1996
In 1996, the denomination’s General Conference adopted a resource called “Reducing the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in the Church,” intended to help congregations prevent abuse and respond to allegations.
Background · from our historical context
2005
AllegedScott Moore, a church volunteer, was accused of molesting teenage boys at two retreats in 2005 and 2006.
Reported in this story's sourcesSource:Breitbart
2006
Roger Marshall’s campaign later alleged that Moore returned as a camp counselor after allegations were raised.
Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
2006
Teenage boys accused Moore of molesting them at a second retreat.
Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
Nov 3, 2020
Roger Marshall won Kansas’s U.S. Senate seat, defeating Democrat Barbara Bollier.
Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
2026
Adam Hamilton became a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kansas.
Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Church of the Resurrection was founded by Adam Hamilton in 1990 in the Kansas City area. Its first services were held in a funeral home in nearby Overland Park; the congregation later established its campus in Leawood and grew into one of the largest United Methodist congregations in the United States.

Hamilton has served as its lead pastor for more than three decades, making his decisions in matters involving church programs and volunteers a subject of particular public attention. The allegations at the center of the later political dispute concern Scott Moore, described as a church volunteer.