Court orders Kentucky to release records in driver’s license fraud investigation

A court ruled the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet violated the state's open records laws by withholding documents tied to an investigation into immigrants illegally obtaining Kentucky driver's licenses in Louisville, ordering more than 2,300 records released to WDRB.

The ruling marks a major development in WDRB's ongoing investigation into claims that non-citizens were able to buy Kentucky driver's licenses under the table, often without proper documentation, Homeland Security screening or required driving tests.

For former licensing clerk Melissa Moorman, the court order brings both validation and frustration.

"I would just like this to be resolved and over so this dark cloud can be removed from my head," Moorman said.

Moorman said she reported what she believed was widespread fraud at the Nia Center driver's license branch in west Louisville, only to lose her job after sounding the alarm.

Moorman told investigators and WDRB fraudulent documents were accepted, required screenings — including the drivers' tests — were bypassed, and customers paid about $200 in cash per license under the table.

"There were documents that were being provided that weren't legit," Moorman said. "There were employees that were using my login as part of this scam."

"To our knowledge, all employees involved have been hired through a temp agency and have been terminated," Beshear said at an April 2025 news conference.

But the newly released records contradict that claim. An internal January email from Driver Licensing Director Christy Johnson confirms at least two state employees — not temporary workers — were fired in connection with the investigation."

That argument failed in court. Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate ruled the blanket denial of our Open Records Request was "a violation of the Kentucky Open Records Act."

From the article, it appears it was just regular DL. Of course, given how the state has balked at providing info, CDLs might have been involved as well.

Also from the article:

“The records also bolster Moorman’s claim the cabinet ignored its own internal rules. The employee handbook clearly states: “Employees and agents shall not allow another person or entity to use their user IDs or passwords to access computer networks, electronic data, or electronic equipment.”

Moorman said supervisors instructed her to share her login credentials because the state often took weeks to issue new ones to employees.

When asked how many people were using her login at the same time, Moorman answered: “Maybe four.”

While the court-ordered release sheds new light on the scope of the fraud and internal discipline, major questions remain. WDRB asked whether Kentucky State Police are working with ICE as part of the investigation.

“We’ve been asked not to release facts on this investigation,” Beshear said.

As of this reporting:

No arrests have been announced involving former licensing employees

The state has not disclosed what happened to people who obtained licenses illegally

Officials have not detailed how the system failed or how it will be fixed

Moorman has a wrongful termination lawsuit pending against the state. Her attorney, Garry Adams, said she has cooperated fully with investigators.

“Melissa Moorman’s been made a scapegoat,” Adams said. “She was merely following orders.”

Fourteen months after raising her concerns, Moorman said she’s still waiting for accountability.

“I would just like to see some justice be done and I would like to clear my name,” she said.

Time, she said, hasn’t healed the damage.

“I’m struggling,” Moorman said. “I can’t provide for my kids. I can’t provide for myself.”

For now, the release of records represents progress — but not closure — in a case that continues to raise serious questions about public safety, oversight, and transparency inside Kentucky’s driver’s license system.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help Moorman as she struggles for work in he aftermath of speaking out. If you’d like to donate, click here.”

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