Latest news with #Moorman
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
GOP Senate hopeful unloads on Biden admin after whistleblower exposes who was sold IDs: 'Appalled'
Some illegal immigrants were allegedly given driver's licenses in Louisville, Kentucky, by paying $200 under the table, according to an ex-clerk who worked for a government contractor at a licensing facility, and it's prompting backlash from a top former Republican official in the state. "The employees were being paid under the table," Melissa Moorman told WDRB, adding that it would happen multiple times a day for a minimum of two years. A whistleblower lawsuit from Moorman alleges that she was fired after reporting the situation to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. "I immediately let my supervisor know," Moorman told the outlet. The workers she reported were also fired at the end of last year, according to the news outlet. She alleged that the coworkers used her login without permission to give the licenses out without the proper Homeland Security check first, and that fake documents were used for illegal immigrants to avoid taking driving tests, WDRB reported. Illegal immigrants can not legally get driver's licenses in the Bluegrass State. Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said he was "appalled" to learn about the allegations. "Under Democrat President Joe Biden, we were lax with our laws, we were letting illegals into the country. We weren't following the rule of law. I think President Trump said it best when he said, 'Turns out we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president that was willing to enforce the laws,'" Cameron, who is the CEO of the 1792 Exchange, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "And apparently we had some rogue employees here in Kentucky that simply refused to follow the law. And again, I think it's courageous of a whistleblower to come out publicly and say that, 'Hey, this was wrong and I think it needs to be addressed.' And I'm hopeful that this will be addressed and folks in state government will be accountable because at the end of the day, they are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that our laws are being upheld," he added. Cameron, who's running for U.S. Senate in 2026, commended the whistleblower who recently went public, saying she "had the courage to speak out and be a whistleblower because this again is in contradiction to the rule of law that this is occurring." "I think these folks have got to be held accountable, and I think there needs to be serious questions asked of the Kentucky Department of Transportation on how they could allow these sorts of employees to flout the laws of our state," he continued. The incumbent attorney general, Russell Coleman, said an investigation is underway. "This week's media reports show troubling and unacceptable conduct. Hand in hand with our state and federal law enforcement partners, we've been aggressively investigating this potential fraud for some time now, well before this week's reporting," Coleman told Fox News Digital in a statement. Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Andy Beshear's office. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet responded to the local report in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Ensuring the integrity of state-issued identification is a high priority and any irregularity is treated seriously and investigated. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) routinely reviews credential applications and during this process identified a number of irregularities and revoked 1,985 credentials. KYTC immediately contacted law enforcement, who are engaged in an active criminal investigation. The revoked credentials – if used – would not work and be flagged at any airport or traffic stop. To our knowledge, all employees involved had been hired through a temp agency and have been terminated. We are continuing to work with law enforcement on this matter to ensure anyone who violated the law is held accountable," a Transportation Cabinet spokesperson stated. "This is an ongoing criminal investigation with numerous state and federal agencies participating, including Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky Attorney General, U.S. Attorneys and others. We have been asked not to share documents or certain information so as not to compromise the investigation. KYTC has turned over all requested information to law enforcement who are investigating the facts, and further questions should be directed there," the statement continued.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Fox 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." Moorman filed the lawsuit in April, claiming that KYTC violated the Kentucky Whistleblower Act, which protects public whistleblowers who come forward with information about misconduct. She has asked for her job and benefits to be reinstated along with back pay. "It is tragic that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet chose to terminate the person that uncovered the fact that hundreds, perhaps thousands of undocumented people were provided Kentucky driver's licenses that they were not qualified to receive," Moorman's attorney Garry Adams told Fox News Digital. "The scheme that Melissa Moorman uncovered was putting all Kentuckians that operate or ride in motor vehicles in danger, and she should have been rewarded for her disclosure rather than terminated for it." He continued, "This type of behavior where local, state and even federal governments seem to favor sweeping big problems under the rug, rather than disclosing it, addressing it and fixing it has got to stop." Fox News Digital reached out to KYTC for comment. Kentucky law allows non-U.S. citizens to obtain standard driver's licenses only if they provide proof of residency and valid immigration documentation. Presenting false documents regarding immigration status could be grounds for prosecution. In a comment to Fox News Digital, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the reports showed "troubling and unacceptable conduct," adding that they have been "aggressively investigating this potential fraud for some time now" with federal law enforcement.
Los Angeles Times
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Granada Hills finally breaks through to beat Carson for City Section softball title
Addison Moorman could finally breathe. The senior pitcher couldn't hold her emotions back. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she embraced her teammates on Cal State Northridge's softball diamond. A year ago, she struck out 19 batters — only to fall short 1-0 in f14 innings. Two years previous, Granada Hills was one run away from City Section glory. On Saturday in Northridge, so close to home, the City Section Open Division title, the program's first since 1981, was Moorman's — and the Highlanders — to celebrate in an 11-2 drubbing of archrival Carson. Moorman put the team on her back, striking out 11 while giving up just four hits and two earned runs across her complete-game performance. 'It feels so good to go out on top, especially against [Carson],' said Moorman, who signed with Lehigh in November. 'To finally beat them, overcome that hurdle and then leave as a champion, feels really great.' Carson held a 1-0 lead early in the game when Atiana Rodriguez and Letu'u Simi combined for back-to-back doubles in the second inning, but from the bottom of the second onward, it was all Granada Hills at the plate. The Highlanders capitalized off of two Colts errors in the second inning. Second baseman Lainey Brown and right fielder Elysse Diaz singled home runs, while Giselle Merida tripled to bring home another. 'I've been waiting,' said Diaz who went two for four with two RBIs and a double. 'It was just boiling and boiling and then here, [the offense] just exploded.' By the time Moorman returned to the circle for her third inning of work, Granada Hills had scored seven runs on six hits against Carson pitcher Giselle Pantoja — who shut the Highlanders down in 2024 — building a cushion for its star pitcher to go out and do what she'd done all season: dominate. ''Every time a pitcher always feels that burden of carrying the team, and [Moorman] dealt with it well,' said Granada Hills coach Ivan Garcia. 'Her character is greater than her talent, the way she handles her teammates, the way she leads by example. I mean, you wouldn't know that she's a star pitcher, the way she puts bases away, the way she cleans up.' Moorman made just one big mistake on Saturday — leaving a pitch over the plate to Colts center fielder Rylee Gardner, who desposited the ball over the center-field wall for a solo home run (her eighth of the year) in the sixth inning. Otherwise, Moorman kept Carson off balance all game. She set down 13 consecutive batters between the second and sixth innings, striking out her 11th batter of the game as the penultimate at-bat of her high school career. For Moorman, winning a CIF title just 10 minutes away from Granada Hills High, was a moment worth savoring, she said. For Garcia — who said he was happy to see his team goofing off and having fun at a pregame lunch, loosening up before the biggest game of his coaching career — he is looking forward to the 1981 title of the past no longer lurking around his shoulders. 'Third time's the charm,' he said. Earlier in the day in Northridge, Taft won its first City Section title in the softball program's history with an 8-3 victory over Marquez in the Division II final. Legacy made no doubt of its City Section Division I title triumph later Saturday afternoon, shutting out Port of Los Angeles 5-0.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Granada Hills softball advances to City Section final, where it hopes to reverse a recent trend
Granada Hills has earned the top seed in the City Section Open Division softball playoffs three years in a row, but in that time it has yet to be No. 1 at the end of the season. The Highlanders will get another chance to do just that — and get a little redemption in the process — when they face their nemesis Carson in the championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. at Cal State Northridge. Advertisement 'You're peaking at the right time,' head coach Ivan Garcia told his team after Wednesday's five-inning 19-0 semifinal shutout of visiting Venice. 'This was the best game we've played so far from start to finish, but we have one more. Let's put a punctuation mark on the season!' Pitcher Addison Moorman struck out nine of the 16 batters she faced and got plenty of support from the offense as the Highlanders (27-3) batted around in the first inning and scored six runs. They added four runs in the second on RBI singles by Sam Esparza, Annabela Ramirez and Jasmine Soriano and an RBI triple by Zoe Justman. In the third, the home side kept pouring it on as Brown hit a two-run single and Elysse Diaz added a two-run triple. Granada Hills finished with 15 hits — three each by Esparza and Diaz and two each by Soriano, Justman and Brown. The Highlanders' defense was also on display as center fielder Jocelyn Jimenez made a running over-the-shoulder grab to rob Gondoliers hitter Sandy Carrera of extra bases in the fourth. Granada Hills has outscored its first two playoff opponents 32-0 and only a bloop single in the second inning kept Moorman from back-to-back no-hitters. Advertisement 'We've bonded more since last year and I've worked on my changeup,' said Moorman, who signed with Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in November. 'We're playing as a team right now and we know what it's like to be on the big stage.' The Highlanders have posted an 80-12 record the last three seasons, their only two defeats in City competition coming in extra innings to Carson in the finals. They get another crack at the third-seeded Colts (22-3-1), who routed San Pedro 11-1 in Wednesday's other semifinal, and hope the third time's the charm. Granada Hills will not participate in the SoCal Regionals like it did one year ago. 'Losing in the finals the last two years has helped us with our mindset and will help to eliminate the nerves because we know what to expect,' said Brown, a Manhattan University commit who graduates alongside Moorman on Thursday night. 'Our coaches have preached all season 'next man up' and go base to base. We've all put in a ton of work and we're extra motivated because of who we're playing [in the finals].' Brown is happy the game will be at CSUN instead of in the South Bay, where the previous two finals were played (at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2023 and at Long Beach State last spring when Carson prevailed 1-0 in 14 innings despite Moorman's 19 strikeouts). Advertisement 'I've done camps there [at Northridge] and the last two years it's been long bus rides,' Brown added. 'Last year we got there late and couldn't warm-up efficiently so I'm glad this time it's right down the street.' Carson also appears to be rounding into postseason form. The Colts mercied Birmingham 16-5 in the quarterfinals of the eight-team Open bracket and avenged two Marine League losses to second-seeded San Pedro (17-4) on Wednesday for their sixth win in a row. Carson has won five City crowns, all in the upper division, since 2011. Granada Hills is seeking its first title in 44 years, having won the 4A Division in 1975, 1980 and 1981. 'I'm graduating tomorrow night yet it's been hard to focus on school,' Moorman admitted. 'It slips my mind. It's all about Saturday right now.' Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Granada Hills softball advances to City Section final, where it hopes to reverse a recent trend
Granada Hills has earned the top seed in the City Section Open Division softball playoffs three years in a row, but in that time it has yet to be No. 1 at the end of the season. The Highlanders will get another chance to do just that — and get a little redemption in the process — when they face their nemesis Carson in the championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. at Cal State Northridge. 'You're peaking at the right time,' head coach Ivan Garcia told his team after Wednesday's five-inning 19-0 semifinal shutout of visiting Venice. 'This was the best game we've played so far from start to finish, but we have one more. Let's put a punctuation mark on the season!' Pitcher Addison Moorman struck out nine of the 16 batters she faced and got plenty of support from the offense as the Highlanders (27-3) batted around in the first inning and scored six runs. They added four runs in the second on RBI singles by Sam Esparza, Annabela Ramirez and Jasmine Soriano and an RBI triple by Zoe Justman. In the third, the home side kept pouring it on as Brown hit a two-run single and Elysse Diaz added a two-run triple. Granada Hills finished with 15 hits — three each by Esparza and Diaz and two each by Soriano, Justman and Brown. The Highlanders' defense was also on display as center fielder Jocelyn Jimenez made a running over-the-shoulder grab to rob Gondoliers hitter Sandy Carrera of extra bases in the fourth. Granada Hills has outscored its first two playoff opponents 32-0 and only a bloop single in the second inning kept Moorman from back-to-back no-hitters. 'We've bonded more since last year and I've worked on my changeup,' said Moorman, who signed with Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in November. 'We're playing as a team right now and we know what it's like to be on the big stage.' The Highlanders have posted an 80-12 record the last three seasons, their only two defeats in City competition coming in extra innings to Carson in the finals. They get another crack at the third-seeded Colts (22-3-1), who routed San Pedro 11-1 in Wednesday's other semifinal, and hope the third time's the charm. Granada Hills will not participate in the SoCal Regionals like it did one year ago. 'Losing in the finals the last two years has helped us with our mindset and will help to eliminate the nerves because we know what to expect,' said Brown, a Manhattan University commit who graduates alongside Moorman on Thursday night. 'Our coaches have preached all season 'next man up' and go base to base. We've all put in a ton of work and we're extra motivated because of who we're playing [in the finals].' Brown is happy the game will be at CSUN instead of in the South Bay, where the previous two finals were played (at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2023 and at Long Beach State last spring when Carson prevailed 1-0 in 14 innings despite Moorman's 19 strikeouts). 'I've done camps there [at Northridge] and the last two years it's been long bus rides,' Brown added. 'Last year we got there late and couldn't warm-up efficiently so I'm glad this time it's right down the street.' Carson also appears to be rounding into postseason form. The Colts mercied Birmingham 16-5 in the quarterfinals of the eight-team Open bracket and avenged two Marine League losses to second-seeded San Pedro (17-4) on Wednesday for their sixth win in a row. Carson has won five City crowns, all in the upper division, since 2011. Granada Hills is seeking its first title in 44 years, having won the 4A Division in 1975, 1980 and 1981. 'I'm graduating tomorrow night yet it's been hard to focus on school,' Moorman admitted. 'It slips my mind. It's all about Saturday right now.'
