An investigation is underway into allegations that people who were ineligible to receive driver’s licenses, including undocumented immigrants, paid employees at the regional drivers’ license offices to have these undocumented individuals issued Kentucky operators’ licenses.
In a story broadcast on WDRB-TV in Louisville, former clerk Melissa Moorman claims undocumented workers bought Kentucky licenses under the table for $200 apiece in a scam that played out several times a day and in multiple branches.
According to a whistleblower lawsuit, when Moorman alerted the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet of the scam, she was fired. “The employees were being paid under the table,” she told the TV station. “I immediately let my supervisor know.”
Moorman worked at Louisville’s Nia Center Licensing Branch through Quantum Solutions, a staffing service contracted by the state to supplement personnel at regional offices.
Gov. Andy Beshear addressed the issue at his weekly press conference on Wednesday.
“Ensuring the integrity of state-issued identification is a high priority, and any irregularities are taken seriously and investigated,” he said. “The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet regularly reviews credential applications, and during one of their reviews, they identified a number of irregularities, and they have revoked 1,985 credentials. To our knowledge, all employees involved had been hired through a temp agency and have been terminated.”
Beshear said the Cabinet immediately contacted law enforcement, who are involved in a criminal investigation. “That includes multiple offices, both state and federal. The revoked credentials will not work at an airport and would be flagged if someone was pulled over for a traffic stop. We are committed to getting all the facts and holding anyone who violated the law accountable.”
He added, “I want to make sure I don’t get in front of the Kentucky State Police in their current investigation. When that’s complete, I look forward to sharing any and all of those facts.”
State Auditor Allison Ball also weighed in on the issue. “I’m troubled by the reports of an alleged black market within the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that allows illegal noncitizens to pay cash to bypass not only Kentucky law, but also the law-abiding citizens waiting for long periods of time to obtain their drivers licenses the legal way. I am requesting a formal explanation from the Governor and the Transportation Secretary (Jim Gray) about their plan to address these reports. Kentuckians deserve to have confidence that their tax dollars are funding a government accountable to the people that serves them fairly and lawfully.”
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
