The sexual misconduct allegations against Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore are serious, and they shouldn’t be dismissed outright as “fake news.”

There are plenty of Republicans who are condemning or distancing themselves from Moore over his alleged behavior. However, you’ll find a handful of loyal Moore supporters and Republicans who are disputing the Washington Post report about Moore initiating a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old and courting three other teenage girls, and are instead giving Moore the benefit of the doubt. In fact, many loyalists, and even Moore’s brother Jerry, have been painting the allegations as a smear campaign, likening it to the persecution of Jesus Christ.