By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Saturday, Republican Senate Candidate Roy Moore was the keynote speaker at the Mid Alabama Republican Club meeting in Birmingham. Moore denied the Washington Post allegations that he sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in 1979.
“Now I want to address something that some people have come here to hear about,” Moore said in front of 50 or so supporters, turning his attention to the media who came to Alabama to report on this. “Shortly after becoming the Republican nominee for the United States Senate, the Washington Post began an attack on the Foundation for Moral Law, on my wife, and on me. For weeks, we read about my salary which they distorted, about taxes where they said we were paid money we never got. But we endured that.”
“Later, they came out and endorsed my opponent in this race,” former Chief Justice Moore said. “Just two days ago, the Washington Post published yet another attack on my character and reputation in a desperate attempt to stop my political campaign for the United States Senate. These attacks about a minor are completely false and untrue about something that happened nearly 40 years ago. But more than being completely false and untrue, they are very hurtful to me personally.”
“I’ve been married to my wife Kayla for nearly 33 years. We have four children. I have one daughter, and I have five granddaughters. I have the highest regard for the protection of young children. When I returned to Gadsden 40 years ago after military service, I went to work for the office of the District Attorney,” Moore said.
“As a student of the law, I have served in public office off and on for the last 40 years. To be attacked for allegations of sexual misconduct contradicts my entire career in law,” Moore said. “I wanted to make it clear to the media present and the people present, I have not provided alcoholic beverages, beer or anything else, to a minor. I have not been guilty of sexual misconduct with anyone.”
Moore said that the allegations’ timing, just four and a half weeks before the general election, was suspect.
“That is not a coincidence. It is an intentional act to stop this campaign,” Moore stated.
“I have had investigations by the attorney general, I’ve had investigations by the judicial inquiry commission on more than one occasion,” Chief Justice Moore said. “I’ve had investigations by the court of the judiciary, I’ve been in five statewide campaigns in which they do opposition research. They do investigations. As you can see in every one I’ve ever run and three county elections and two major controversies over religious liberty and the Ten Commandments and same-sex marriage.”
“I’ve been investigated more than any other person in this country. That grown women would wait forty years to come right before an election to bring charges is absolutely unbelievable,” Moore said.
Saturday was Veterans Day, and Moore spoke about his service in the Vietnam War after his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Moore said that he served in Vietnam, and his father served in World War II. One of his sons is in the U.S. Army Reserve, and another son is in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and will be in the Army.
Moore was introduced by his campaign chairman, Bill Armistead, who said, “I know of no man that I honor any more than Judge Moore in the public arena.”
Moore said of his time in West Point, “It wasn’t an easy time and I quite frankly did not appreciate the Constitution like I do now.” Moore said of veterans, “That kind of dedication that kind of loyalty and respect we don’t a lot of anymore but we see it in Afghanistan Syria and Iraq where. Maybe we don’t appreciate our country enough. Maybe we don’t appreciate our constitution enough.” He said that we all should stand when we say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the national anthem because we are honoring those veterans who served.
The MARC club voted in a new slate of officers led by former state Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood.
The crowd was wildly enthusiastic for Moore. Perhaps 60 protestors were gathered outside the Vestavia Library.
The special general election for U.S. Senate will be on Dec. 12, 2017. Former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones is Moore’s opponent.
