The controversy surrounding claims of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s missing thesis intensified this week as the Democrat dismissed questions about an academic paper he once said made him an expert on Hamas. Moore said he would not spend “a second” looking for the graduate thesis that has proven impossible to locate, even as Oxford University declined to confirm whether he was ever a doctoral candidate.
“I am not going to spend a second of my time trying to dig up a paper that I wrote 20 some odd years ago because a blog, because a right-wing blog post is asking me to,” Moore told the Baltimore Sun. “I’m too busy.”
The missing thesis issue resurfaced after reports showed that Moore’s Oxford master’s thesis—Radical Islam in Latin America in the late 20th Century and Its Middle Eastern Roots—cannot be found. Moore previously claimed the work “earned him praise as one of the foremost experts” on radical Islam and shaped his views on Hamas. “Part of the reason that I am… a firm belief that groups like Hamas will never be a part of a long-term peace process… is because I know them too well,” Moore said. “My master’s thesis was on this work.”
Oxford University said U.K. privacy laws prevent it from confirming Moore’s doctoral status. Its Bodleian Library separately stated it could not find “any trace” of Moore’s thesis because it was never submitted. Oxford officials said Moore cannot receive a formal degree certificate or walk at graduation until the thesis is provided.
An Oxford emeritus professor also expressed doubt. Avi Shlaim said he had “never heard of this chap” and suggested Moore’s degree may have been a fallback. “Sometimes they offer an M.Litt for the thesis without any revision,” Shlaim said.
The missing thesis questions add to past scrutiny of Moore’s résumé, including disputed claims about his upbringing, awards, and academic credentials—issues likely to follow him as he emerges as a potential national Democratic figure.
