Breaking News
Kentucky whistleblower claims licensing center sold IDs to illegal immigrants 'under the table'
Former Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) clerk Melissa Moorman sued her old employers for allegedly firing her because she reported on co-workers selling driver's licenses to illegal immigrants .
According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital , Moorman discovered in 2024 that two co-workers from the Department of Vehicle Regulation were selling documents to "nonresidents" without proper immigration screenings or testing. Her lawyers argued that she knew of the crime after being invited to participate.
"The employees were being paid under the table," Moorman told WDRB News on Monday. "I immediately let my supervisor know about it."
She also informed WDRB News that these co-workers would sell licenses for $200 per person approximately four to five times a day, for over two years. Moorman said that every case she encountered involved an illegal immigrant.
After she reported the crime, the co-workers were fired, and a federal investigation was launched into KYTC. Moorman allegedly met with federal investigators in January after learning those employees were using her credentials and log-in information without her knowledge at the time. She has said that she was instructed by her supervisor to provide the employees with this information as they waited for their own credentials when they first started.
KYTC fired Moorman the day of her interview but, according to Moorman's lawyers, has kept her supervisor despite the "mismanagement, fraud, abuse of authority, and violations of law and statute in which he engaged that Moorman disclosed and reported."
"I was angry, hurt and depressed," Moorman told WDRB News. "I did the right thing. I told the truth. I should not have been fired."
https://www.foxnews.com/media/kentucky-whistleblower-claims-licensing-center-sold-ids-illegal-immigrants-under-table
I thought Kentucky had whistleblower protection laws? What happened?
Here is Kentucky's Whistleblower Protection Statute:
61.102 Reprisal against public employee for disclosure of violations of law
prohibited -- Construction of statute.
(1) No employer shall subject to reprisal, or directly or indirectly use, or threaten to use,
any official authority or influence, in any manner whatsoever, which tends to
discourage, restrain, depress, dissuade, deter, prevent, interfere with, coerce, or
discriminate against any employee who in good faith reports, discloses, divulges, or
otherwise brings to the attention of the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission,
the Attorney General, the Auditor of Public Accounts, the Executive Branch Ethics
Commission, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky or any of
its members or employees, the Legislative Research Commission or any of its
committees, members or employees, the judiciary or any member or employee of
the judiciary, any law enforcement agency or its employees, or any other appropriate
body or authority, any facts or information relative to an actual or suspected
violation of any law, statute, executive order, administrative regulation, mandate,
rule, or ordinance of the United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, or any of
its political subdivisions, or any facts or information relative to actual or suspected
mismanagement, waste, fraud, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific
danger to public health or safety. No employer shall require any employee to give
notice prior to making such a report, disclosure, or divulgence.
(2) No employer shall subject to reprisal or discriminate against, or use any official
authority or influence to cause reprisal or discrimination by others against, any
person who supports, aids, or substantiates any employee who makes public any
wrongdoing set forth in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) This section shall not be construed as:
(a) Prohibiting an employer from requiring that an employee inform him or her of
an official request made to an agency for information, or the substance of
testimony made, or to be made, by the employee to legislators on behalf of an
agency;
(b) Permitting the employee to leave his or her assigned work area during normal
work hours without following applicable law, administrative regulations,
rules, or policies pertaining to leave, unless the employee is requested by the
Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission or the Executive Branch Ethics
Commission to appear before the commission, or by a legislator or a
legislative committee to appear before a legislative committee;
(c) Authorizing an employee to represent his or her personal opinions as the
opinions of his or her employer; or
(d) Prohibiting disciplinary or punitive action if an employee discloses
information which he or she knows:
1. To be false or which he or she discloses with reckless disregard for its
truth or falsity;
2. To be exempt from required disclosure under the provisions of KRS
61.870 to 61.884; or
3. Is confidential under any other provision of law.
Construction Jobsite Trench Collapse in Richmond, KY
There has been a trench collapse in Richmond, KY, and the Coroner has been called to the site. Recovery activities are underway, and may take several hours. I will update this report as information becomes available.
The Richmond Register has reported that one worked is dead.
Construction Jobsite Safety Is An Issue Of Great Concern For Our Profession!!!!
