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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- 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. She worked as a clerk at the branch through Quantum Solutions, a staffing service contracted by the commonwealth to supplement personnel at regional offices.

She said she was training for a supervisor position, which would have made her a state employee.

"It really did destroy my life," she said.

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."

Fraud allegations extend beyond Louisville

When Moorman first raised concerns in a letter to KYTC leadership in October 2024, she had no idea how far the issue would spread.

Records released under the judge's order show the problem wasn't limited to Louisville. Revocation notices were sent statewide — including Lexington, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green, Covington and many other communities.

More than 1,540 revocation notices were among the documents turned over to WDRB, with names redacted due to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Previous WDRB reporting revealed nearly 2,000 licenses have been revoked in total. The judge's order only required the state to release documents from the original WDRB request in early 2025, not any revocations that occurred after that request was made.

Under Kentucky law, non-U.S. citizens may obtain a standard driver's license only if they provide legal presence documentation and proof of residency. KYTC confirms applicants' status through federal verification systems.

"For immigrants who don't have a pathway to obtain legal status, having a driver's license can mean the difference between getting home from work safely to their children or wives or husband and not," immigration attorney Adienne Trivedi said. "For a relatively small price to be able to have that chance of avoiding deportation, even just for that day, they're willing to take it."

After WDRB's first report aired earlier this year, Gov. Andy Beshear said publicly all employees involved had been hired through a temp agency and terminated.

"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. One email details the termination of Administrative Specialist Stanislas Mwenga, stating: "This employee is involved and committing fraud found in the current investigation ongoing with KSP in Louisville."

Records also show administrative specialist Julianna Pumphrey was terminated. Neither Pumphrey or Mwenga returned messages from comment in this report.

When asked about the discrepancy, Beshear's office confirmed six terminations in total. A spokesperson said Pumphrey and Mwenga started as temps but had been hired by the state and remained on probation at the time of their firing.

A year-long legal fight

WDRB fought for nearly a year to obtain the records, seeking to answer basic questions: Who knew? When did they know? And how did the state respond?

But KYTC officials repeatedly denied the requests, citing an ongoing investigation.

Beshear hasn't publicly confirmed the investigation involves immigrants. But court records do. A KYTC attorney wrote "The individuals who received the licenses at issue are, in large part, part of a vulnerable immigrant community."

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."

"I agree they're going to have to produce something," Wingate said from the bench at a hearing on the open records matter in August 2025. "... There's 1,546 people that violated the law."

In a written statement provided to WDRB on Monday, Beshear's office said it's asked the U.S. Attorney's Office "multiple times" if it can release details about the investigation, but they've been denied each time.

"Our priority remains protecting both the integrity of licensing here in Kentucky, as well as the ongoing investigation," a spokesperson said.

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

A personal cost

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.

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