STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF GLORIA DEASON
THROUGH HER ATTORNEY, PAULA COBIA
DECEMBER 4, 2017
The purpose of this statement is to point out the deliberate misrepresentations and falsehoods made
by Roy Moore regarding his interactions with Gloria Deason when she was 18 years old and he was
32.
This past week Moore lied repeatedly about not knowing any of his accusers. Three weeks ago,
however, he admitted knowing at least two of the four original women named in The Washington Post
article published November 9, one of whom is Gloria Deason.
On November 10, the day after The Washington Post article, Moore did a live on-the-air interview with
conservative talk host, Sean Hannity. Without hesitation, Moore clearly remembered Deason as a
teenager, saying he thought she was 19 at the time. He described her as “a good girl.” He admitted
knowing “her parents, her mother in particular.” He did not deny going out with Deason. He denied
giving her alcohol by insisting such was not possible as Etowah County was still dry in 1979. That was
false. Etowah County has been wet since 1972, a full seven years before Moore went out with Deason
when she was 18, and not the legal drinking age of 19.
When Hannity asked Moore if as a 32-year-old man he went out with girls as young as 18, he said “Not
generally, no. If I did, I’m not going to dispute anything.”
Immediately after the replay of the interview, a 3 person panel of FOX legal analysts unanimously
concluded that Moore “did not seem genuine,” finding his answers to be “unconvincing, unbelievable
and implausible.” They agreed “he was lying.” They found his responses full of “glaring inconsistencies
and contradictions.” One told the audience that the standard jury instruction on witness credibility is “if
you find that a witness is lying about one part of his story, then you may conclude that he’s lying about
everything.”
The Hannity interview is the only one given by Moore to date. He has taken no questions from the
press.
Since Moore has gone from remembering Gloria Deason to denying ever knowing her, this is her story.
She met Moore during Christmas 1978 when he was just shy of 32 and she was 18. On multiple
occasions he struck up conversations with her at the jewelry counter where she worked part-time in
the Pizitz store located inside the Gadsden Mall. He stopped by several times to flirt with her but never
bought anything. He made her nervous because her manager would always pace back and forth while
glaring at them.
Moore asked Deason out for the first time in January 1979. She called her mother, whom she
describes as being very strict, to get her permission to go to dinner with him and to ask if she could
extend her curfew from 10:30 PM to 11:00 PM. Moore and Deason dated off and on for several
months. She did not turn 19 until May 1979. He mostly picked Deason up after games where she was
a cheerleader, or from Pizitz. He picked her up a few times from her house where she lived with her
parents. Her family and some of her friends knew about her going out with Moore.
On one special occasion, Deason accompanied Moore to a business social function in the banquet
room at the Ramada Inn in the nearby town of Attalla. There were mostly older men there consisting of
attorneys and city leaders. She remembers being introduced to one gentleman in particular who is still
a prominent practicing attorney in Gadsden. It was understandably a big deal for a teenager to attend
such a grown-up function which naturally left her with a vivid memory about the event. She wore a red
dress with a black velvet collar.
Deason remembers that the restaurants Moore took her to were places where he could order alcoholic
beverages such as bottles of Mateus rose or tropical cocktails. She recalls this experience because it
was her first exposure to alcohol consumption. She had no idea how to order wine and did not know
what Mateus rose was. She knows she was 18, not 19, because she was afraid she would be caught

 drinking underage. No one ever asked her for I.D., though, presumably because she was with Moore,
the Assistant District Attorney of Etowah County.
Deason was also extremely fearful that her mother, a Southern Baptist who did not believe in
consuming alcohol, would find out and throw “a hissy fit.” Not being used to drinking, and weighing
only between 90 and 95 pounds, she always felt intoxicated quickly. Moore took her to his house on at
least two occasions where they kissed and hugged while listening to music. He liked the country
singer, Eddie Rabbitt, and she liked the British rocker, Freddie Mercury. Their physical relationship did
not extend beyond kissing and hugging.
Deason had a very busy life between work, school, cheerleading, and other social activities so she
was not generally free when Moore would just show up and ask her out at the last minute. At some
point, he stopped coming around the jewelry counter or ballgames and she did not see him again.
As stated before, Deason is willing to give sworn testimony before any judicial or governmental body
as long as Moore agrees to do the same. Deason has nothing to gain by telling anything but the truth
and certainly no motivation to lie. No one has paid her for sharing the truth nor has she been contacted
by Moore’s opponent or any political party. The lies, the malicious and defamatory accusations, and
the wild conspiracy theories being hurled forth by Moore and his surrogates against Gloria Deason and
the other women who have come forward have resulted in them and their families being harassed and
threatened. They are prisoners in their own homes, or have had to leave their homes to find safety
elsewhere. Unlike a United States Senate candidate, they do not have the financial means to arrange
for private security. They cannot purchase six-figure television ads to defend themselves against
name-calling and victim-blaming.
Roy Moore must immediately cease and desist from further defamation and persecution of Gloria
Deason. This includes statements made not just by himself, but by his wife Kayla Moore, his
foundation, and other campaign surrogates. In addition, I would hope that in a manner befitting any
public official, Mr. Moore would use his platform and his position to defend and insist upon the safety
and security of all of the women who have come forward. Including my client, the woman he just three
weeks ago remembered to the world as being a “good girl,” Ms. Gloria Deason. Because no matter
what lies Roy Moore may choose to tell now, the truth was the first thing out of his mouth when it came
time to remembering Gloria.
Paula Cobia
Attorney for Gloria Thacker Deason