In Kansas, Both Sides Twist the Facts in Accusations of Protecting Pedophiles

In Kansas’ choky Senate race, ads from Democratic and Republican extracurricular groups are accusing the different party’s campaigner of having protected pedophiles. In some cases, the attacks are misleading oregon unsupported by the evidence.

Ads from Democratic groups misleadingly assertion Sen. Roger Marshall, the Republican incumbent, helped screen up Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes by voting to support the Epstein files nether wraps portion taking wealth from the convicted enactment offender’s “associates.” 

Marshall supported the November 2025 instrumentality that required the Justice Department to publically merchandise the files. He antecedently voted against a Democratic amendment calling for the files’ release, saying helium opposed attaching it to an unrelated defence bill. As for the purported Epstein “associates,” they’re radical whose names look incidentally successful the files but had nary documented interaction with Epstein, oregon whose interactions with him were limited. None has been accused of wrongdoing.

An advertisement from a Republican group, meanwhile, claims Democratic campaigner Adam Hamilton, a pastor, “protected a pedophile” accused of molesting teenage boys 2 decades agone astatine a campy his religion ran.

According to tribunal records reviewed by section quality outlets, the boys reported the maltreatment but couldn’t place the culprit, and the religion didn’t notify police. It’s unclear what relation Hamilton played successful that decision. The adjacent year, a campy unpaid was caught and reported to police. Hamilton has acknowledged that the religion could person handled the concern better, but there’s nary grounds helium knowingly protected a predator.

The Cook Political Report rates the Kansas contention arsenic 1 of respective toss-ups that could find power of the Senate connected Nov. 3. President Donald Trump campaigned for Marshall successful Kansas connected Nov. 1, the president’s 2nd rally successful the authorities successful 2 weeks.

Votes connected the Epstein Files

Multiple Democratic-aligned groups person tally ads accusing Marshall of voting to screen up the Epstein files.

“It was 1 of the worst kid maltreatment scandals successful history,” states an ad from WinSenate, a ace PAC moving to elite Democrats. “Dozens of young girls sexually trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. Drugged, molested, and raped. And Roger Marshall helped screen it up. Marshall voted to support the Epstein files sealed, ignoring pleas from victims and saying releasing the accusation was, quote, ‘not of overmuch involvement to me.’ Roger Marshall utilized his bureau to support pedophiles.”

Another WinSenate ad makes a akin claim, interspersing images of Marshall with what appears to beryllium a photograph of an Epstein unfortunate with her look redacted. 

“She was a 14-year-old girl,” the ad’s narrator says. “He was a 65-year-old senator. She was drugged, molested, and raped. And helium helped screen it up. Roger Marshall took astir $40,000 from Jeffrey Epstein’s associates. Then voted to support the Epstein files sealed, protecting pedophiles.”

WinSenate had spent much than $6 cardinal connected the 2 ads combined arsenic of the day of Nov. 2, according to the ad-tracking work AdImpact. At slightest 2 different groups backing Democrats person besides aired ads attacking Marshall implicit the Epstein files.

These ads don’t springiness a afloat relationship of Marshall’s votes connected this issue.

In September 2025, Senate Democrats projected an amendment to the yearly defence argumentation measure that would person directed the Department of Justice to marque the Epstein files publically available. The amendment was killed successful a mostly party-line vote, with each but 2 Republicans opposed to the amendment. Marshall was among those voting against it.

According to section NBC affiliate KSNT, Marshall said astatine the clip that helium supported releasing the files but opposed tying it to an unrelated defence bill, which helium called a “political stunt.” 

Two months later, Marshall supported a standalone bill compelling merchandise of the Epstein files. The measure cleared the Senate with unanimous consent, which means the measure was not opposed by Marshall oregon immoderate different senator. 

That ballot came aft Trump threw his support down the bill, aft resisting calls to disclose the files for months. 

Marshall’s connection that releasing the files was “not of overmuch involvement to me” came successful July 2025. Asked astir the contented by reporters, helium responded that determination were bigger priorities successful his view. Here’s the full quotation:

“It’s conscionable not my focus,” Marshall said. “I mean, I privation justness to beryllium served, but we request to beryllium focused close present connected telling Americans astir this reconciliation measure that we did. It’s going to beryllium the largest taxation chopped successful American history, the largest alteration successful spending, we’re going to unafraid the border, a full batch of different things. So it’s conscionable not of overmuch involvement to maine close now.”

Lauren French, a spokesperson for WinSenate, said successful an emailed connection that Marshall’s archetypal ballot against releasing the files “was a determination to support grounds astir the intersexual maltreatment of children locked distant for months longer, portion the almighty radical named successful it kept their secrets.”

“When survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s maltreatment pleaded with Roger Marshall for justness and transparency, helium turned his backmost connected them,” she said. “Marshall voted to termination an effort to unit the Justice Department to merchandise the Epstein files, blaming technicalities and saying, ‘it’s conscionable not of overmuch involvement to me.’ ” 

We reached retired to Marshall’s run and haven’t heard back.

Claims About ‘Epstein’s Associates’

One of the WinSenate ads besides claims that Marshall “took astir $40,000 from Jeffrey Epstein’s associates.” The assertion doesn’t clasp up.

The advertisement cites an article connected a partisan website called American Journal News, which is published by Democratic operative David Brock’s True Blue Media and partially funded by a Democratic-aligned radical helium co-founded, American Bridge 21st Century. (He stepped away from American Bridge successful 2022.)

The nonfiction cites 4 radical whose names look successful the Epstein files and who besides gave to 1 of Marshall’s campaigns. As we’ve written before, the specified information that idiosyncratic is mentioned successful the files does not bespeak that the idiosyncratic is implicated successful wrongdoing, oregon adjacent had a nonstop narration with the disgraced financier. 

One of the radical mentioned successful the nonfiction is Stephen Schwarzman, president and CEO of the backstage equity steadfast Blackstone. We antecedently wrote astir a abstracted WinSenate advertisement successful Maine that referred to Schwarzman arsenic Epstein’s “business partner,” based connected the information that some men were among the archetypal investors successful an exclusive New York City club. 

As we noted astatine the time, they were among astir 150 founding members paying $100,000 each. Aside from paying wealth to articulation the aforesaid club, it’s not wide the 2 men ever did concern unneurotic oregon had a adjacent moving relationship. 

The Epstein files see emails from a publicist inviting Epstein to 2 events Schwarzman was progressive in: a 2015 event celebrating the movie “The Imitation Game” co-hosted by Schwarzman and his woman (along with erstwhile Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others) astatine the Schwarzman’s New York home; and a 2013 day solemnisation for the New York Observer, which lists Schwarzman arsenic 1 of much than 2 twelve co-hosts. Epstein was out of town for the 2015 event, and it’s unclear if helium attended the other. None of the emails shows Schwarzman and Epstein corresponding directly.

A spokesperson for Schwarzman previously told us the 2 men had nary relationship. 

“It would beryllium categorically mendacious and reckless to assertion oregon connote that Steve had immoderate narration with this despicable individual,” the spokesperson said successful an email.

The nonfiction besides mentions Joseph Baratta, an enforcement astatine Blackstone, who donated $6,000 to Marshall’s run successful 2025. There’s nary grounds helium was an “associate” of Epstein. 

We could find lone 1 notation of Baratta successful the files: a 2011 email exchange betwixt Baratta and Peter Mandelson, the British person who aboriginal mislaid his station arsenic ambassador to the U.S. implicit his narration with Epstein. Mandelson was successful backstage signifier arsenic a lobbyist astatine the time, and the speech seems to impact him advising Baratta connected a Blackstone nationalist relations matter. Mandelson forwarded the speech to Epstein with the enactment “fyi He’s nice, agleam guy.” 

Nothing successful the emails indicates Baratta and Epstein communicated directly.

“Joe ne'er met, spoke with, oregon interacted with him successful immoderate mode – period,” a spokesperson for Baratta told us. “Joe had perfectly nary narration with him, and it would beryllium outrageous and patently mendacious to suggest otherwise.”

A 3rd expected Epstein “associate” mentioned successful the nonfiction is Joel Magerman, caput of the concern slope Bryant Park Capital, who gave $11,400 to Marshall’s run successful 2019. Again, we could find nary grounds that Magerman and Epstein were associated. Magerman’s lone mentions successful the Epstein files are two emails that a broker named Barry Zelin sent to aggregate recipients, including Magerman and Epstein. There’s nary grounds successful the files of Magerman responding, and thing to bespeak helium interacted with Epstein directly.

We reached retired to Magerman done his institution and haven’t heard back.

The 4th idiosyncratic cited successful the nonfiction is simply a Paul, Weiss lawyer named Greg Ezring who gave $500 to Marshall’s 2020 campaign. Emails indicate that successful 2014, Ezring was moving connected a donor-advised money that Epstein was trying to basal up with the Gates Foundation, a woody that yet fell through.

Ezring was besides copied connected a 2013 email, which was forwarded to Epstein, astir a substance involving backstage equity steadfast Apollo Global Management. The co-founder of Apollo, Leon Black, stepped down from the institution successful 2021 amid scrutiny for his ties to Epstein.

Nothing successful the emails suggests wrongdoing oregon indicates that Ezring and Epstein had a narration beyond those matters. Ezring did not respond to an email requesting comment.

And again, nary of the 4 has been accused of immoderate wrongdoing connected to Epstein.

French, the WinSenate spokesperson, did not reply a question astir the ad’s characterization of these individuals arsenic Epstein “associates.”

Church Camp Allegations

The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican ace PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, has spent much than $1.6 cardinal connected an ad alleging Hamilton covered up for a antheral who was accused of sexually abusing teens astatine a religion campy 2 decades ago. 

The accusation was archetypal made past outpouring by 1 of Hamilton’s superior opponents. After reviewing the applicable tribunal records, the Kansas City Star wrote that they did “not backmost up the halfway of [the opponent’s] claims.”

The Senate Leadership Fund advertisement opens connected 2 boys successful a darkened country with bunkbeds.

“They accidental there’s a peculiar spot successful hellhole for pedophiles. But what astir the enablers?” the narrator says, arsenic an representation of Hamilton appears. “What astir pastor Adam Hamilton? Boys molested astatine Hamilton’s religion camp. Victims reported the predator. Hamilton’s religion swept it nether the rug, past welcomed the pervert backmost to bash it again. God volition justice Adam Hamilton’s heart. You tin justice his leadership. Adam Hamilton protected a pedophile. He’s unfit for U.S. Senate.”

Here’s a speedy synopsis of what happened, according to the Star’s reporting. (We were incapable to presumption the records ourselves due to the fact that they were not disposable online.)

In 2005, teenage boys astatine a younker campy tally by Church of the Resurrection, the religion Hamilton co-founded, reported that a antheral had entered their rooms astatine nighttime and molested them. 

Camp leaders were initially “dismissive of their claims” but did an interior investigation, according to a tribunal determination quoted by the Star. That probe was “unable to conclusively place the perpetrator,” according to the document, though determination were rumors it was a campy unpaid named Scott Preston Moore, according to records cited by different section quality outlet, the Kansas Reflector.

“Neither lad was capable to marque retired the facial features of the fishy oregon positively place the suspect owed to the acheronian of the country and the blinding airy that had been shined straight astatine their faces,” according to different tribunal filing quoted by the Star. 

The religion did not study the incidents to police. Hamilton’s sanction does not look successful documents related to the handling of the incident, the Star reported.

The pursuing year, Moore was accused of sneaking into boys’ rooms astatine night, and this clip identified arsenic the culprit. Church leaders reported it to instrumentality enforcement and barred Moore from moving with children oregon youth. Local prosecutors yet declined to record charges, according to the Star.

In 2010, the Star reported, a antheral surviving retired of authorities told Hamilton that Moore had abused him decades earlier, erstwhile Moore was his babysitter. According to the Star, the antheral decided to study the maltreatment to instrumentality enforcement aft speaking with Hamilton. 

Shortly thereafter, constabulary investigated a study that Moore had inappropriately touched a 16-year-old during a sleepover, according to the Star. Moore was convicted of that complaint successful 2013 and sentenced to a twelvemonth successful jail.

The Reflector reported that the incidents from 2005 and 2006 were considerations successful the lawsuit that led to his conviction. 

Hamilton has acknowledged the religion could person handled the concern better, but has called the allegations that helium protected oregon covered up for a predator false. 

“First of all, others investigated. I was really preaching that play astatine Church of the Resurrection,” helium said successful an October debate. “And I did not motion disconnected connected him going back. I should person checked to marque definite that helium wasn’t going back. That was a mistake connected my part. But I volition archer you, erstwhile helium was investigated the adjacent year, we forbade him from moving with younker oregon children immoderate more. He near our religion aggravated and upset. And again, we played a captious relation respective years aboriginal successful getting him arrested and convicted.”

Asked by CNN past period whether helium would person done thing otherwise now, Hamilton responded, “Absolutely. We should person called the constabulary immediately. But that was not our policies 21 years ago.” 

Asked for grounds to enactment the ad’s claims, a Senate Leadership Fund spokesperson pointed america to a Senate Leadership Fund press release highlighting the CNN quote.

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