My first act as a state legislator was to repeat the oath of office, swearing to support our state and nation’s constitutions and the laws of our Commonwealth. I take that oath seriously. That is why the recent allegations of fraud in our driver’s licensing system are disturbing. If true, they are a breach of the public trust and a danger to public safety that must be treated as public corruption and a threat to public safety.
According to a Louisville television station’s report, a Transportation Cabinet employee came forward with information about illegal and unethical activities within the Driver’s Licensing program. This whistleblower claims that employees in multiple driver’s licensing offices sold driver’s licenses “under the table” for $200 cash to individuals who could not legally obtain them. The alleged recipients include individuals in our country illegally. The whistleblower contends it happened four or five times a day, across different locations, for at least two years.
These activities are illegal and unethical in their own right, but the employee was allegedly fired after she reported the misconduct. The Beshear administration has already confirmed that almost 2,000 driver’s licenses have already been revoked due to irregularities.
Let’s be clear, these are not paperwork errors, nor was a computer system hacked to make it happen. If the allegations are true, individuals who were paid by the people of Kentucky to do a job took advantage of their position and sold official state-issued identification. Each one represents a potential risk to public safety, whether it’s someone operating a motor vehicle who may not be eligible to drive, or a man or woman boarding an airplane, entering a school building, or renting an apartment.
Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office, the Kentucky State Police, and federal authorities have been investigating for months. State Auditor Allison Ball has formally demanded answers from the Governor and Transportation Cabinet Secretary, calling the situation “an alleged black market within the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.” She has given them until September 1 to produce a detailed explanation and corrective action plan.
These steps are necessary, but may not be enough. My colleagues in the legislature and I are already preparing to exercise our oversight authority to ensure any wrongdoing is addressed and to make any changes necessary to prevent it from happening again. If existing laws do not provide the necessary tools for law enforcement and the judicial system to appropriately prosecute anyone found guilty of doing this, lawmakers will act.
This issue is not about political party. It is about whether Kentuckians can trust that the state agencies we fund are acting with integrity. And, they come at a time when thousands of Kentuckians across the state are struggling to get licenses renewed and make appointments for testing. I know of people who have driven two or more hours for a driver’s license test. Whether you are a farmer in Fulton County renewing your commercial driver’s license or a 16-year-old in Ashland taking your road test for the first time, you have a right to expect that the process is lawful, transparent, and fair.
Of course, the allegations undermine far more than traffic safety. A driver’s license is a gateway document. It can be used to open bank accounts, vote, buy firearms, and board planes. When credentials are sold illegally, it creates opportunities for identity fraud, financial crimes, and even threats to national security.
We also have a responsibility to make sure that individuals who have the courage to step up and report wrongdoing – like the whistleblower in this situation – are not punished for doing the right thing. That sends the wrong message to every honest state employee.
Kentuckians deserve to know that their state government is accountable. The vast majority of our public employees are honest, hardworking people. When corruption takes root, it erodes public confidence in every level of government. We have to be able to trust in the integrity of one of the most basic functions of state government.
As your representative, I will keep pressing until questions are answered, every guilty party is held accountable, and safeguards are in place to prevent this from happening again and protect those willing to risk their own careers to uphold integrity. The people of Kentucky deserve nothing less.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Amy.Neighbors@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
(HD21 – News From the Office of Rep. Neighbors)