GOP ethics complaint says Kansas City-area pastor improperly used church resources

The Rev. Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection, is considering an independent run for the U.S. Senate. (Kansas Reflector screen capture)

TOPEKA — Kansas Republican Party leaders filed a federal ethics complaint against a Kansas City-area pastor who recently began exploring an independent run for U.S. Senate.

GOP leaders allege Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, “blatantly used the corporate resources of the church” to publicize his February announcement to explore a run against Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall.

Danedri Herbert, the state party chair, said in a Friday fundraising message to Kansas GOP members Hamilton “has illegally used in-kind contributions from a church to advance his political ambitions.”

“This is not speculation,” Herbert said. “It is a clear violation of federal law.”

The primary field for Marshall’s seat is a crowded one. Eight Democrats and one additional Republican have filed with the Federal Election Commission, and Hamilton, if he decides to run, would be the first independent in the race. Marshall has out-raised all of his opponents combined, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.

A spokesman for Hamilton said Marshall “knows that if Adam Hamilton runs against him, Adam will win.”

“Roger Marshall would rather attack people of faith — and the largest church in Kansas — than defend his record as a failed politician, because he knows Kansans are tired of politicians like him who aren’t listening and keep making things worse in Washington,” the spokesman said.

Kansas GOP executive director Rob Fillion filed the complaint against Hamilton and the Church of the Resurrection with the FEC. It relies on logical assumptions to allege “there is reason to believe” church staff helped Hamilton with his February announcement, using church equipment and resources.

Hamilton released an 11-minute video on Feb. 27 to the church’s 18,500 YouTube subscribers, explaining his potential desire to run for U.S. Senate as intrinsic to his faith. He outlined his plan to consult with Kansans, addressed his lack of political experience and expressed appreciation for both the Democratic and Republican parties and liberal and conservative ideals.

The same day the video was released, Hamilton wrote in his weekly newsletter to parishioners: “I am not a candidate, nor am I announcing a candidacy. But only strongly considering this.”

He said he would make a decision sometime after Easter.

The video, which also was embedded on the church’s official website, contained church branding. The website also features, as of Friday morning, a frequently asked questions section and a letter from the chair of an internal parish relations committee, assuring the congregation that the church “will stay true to our values,” regardless of Hamilton’s decision.

The website stated that church data, facilities, technology and communication wouldn’t be used for the campaign and that church “staff would not work on the campaign during work hours.”

Fillion argued in the complaint that the church violated the Federal Election Campaign Act when it made its corporate resources available to Hamilton.

“The Church has made an in-kind contribution to Hamilton’s nascent campaign by allowing him to utilize channels of communication that are owned and controlled by the Church — a nonprofit corporation — to communicate his political message to the Church’s members,” the complaint said.

Herbert said Hamilton ignored the firewalls he and the church purported to put in place to separate his political aspirations from church business.

“No one — regardless of their title, church size, or political aspirations — gets a free pass,” Herbert said. “This complaint is about accountability, transparency, and protecting the public trust.”

A separate website, adamhamiltonexploratory.com, includes another introductory video and an option to contribute to the Adam Hamilton Exploratory Committee. Such a committee is not required to register with the FEC, which tracks campaign financing. But once a person begins to campaign or decides to become a candidate, any money raised during the exploratory phase must apply to the FEC’s $5,000 threshold that demarcates when a federal candidate must register and report with the agency.

Since his announcement, Hamilton has been conducting listening sessions in cities across the state, according to an April 17 press release.

“Everywhere I’ve gone, Kansans have been telling me they’re frustrated with the mess of politics in Washington — where they aren’t listening to us and don’t seem to care about our problems,” Hamilton said. “Kansans are telling me, with prices of everything from gas to groceries to healthcare to fertilizer going up across the state, we’ve got to do better instead of just fighting all the time.”

Cathy Bien, a spokesperson for the church, said the church is aware of the complaint. She said the church is “trying to be very clear with boundaries” between church activity and Hamilton’s potential candidacy.

“The communication that was cited in the complaint is an example of the regular way significant information is shared with our congregation,” Bien said.

The announcement that the church’s founding pastor is publicly considering a career change was a significant development requiring communication, she said. She said the church is “treading in uncharted waters,” as Hamilton weighs a run. Ultimately, she added, “our obligation is to the church.”