Coleman says his office was already investigating black market KYTC drivers licenses

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said Wednesday that his office was already investigating the claims of a black market for driver’s licenses at centers around the state.

Coleman told reporters at a roundtable with law enforcement officers that his office was already working with Kentucky State Police and federal partners in what he described as a months-long investigation. He said his office doesn’t usually comment on ongoing investigations, but he acknowledged that this was not a normal investigation. He said that the conduct shared by the whistleblower was very concerning.

He did not go into specifics about what they had found.

An investigation by Louisville TV station WDRB uncovered leaked notices sent to individuals stating that their licenses had been issued in error and would be revoked.

The station also spoke with the whistleblower, who worked at a Louisville licensing office. The woman told WDRB that licenses were regularly issued to illegal immigrants for $200 each. The allegations are detailed in a lawsuit filed by the former employee.

Late Wednesday, Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball sent letters to Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray asking for formal explanations of the allegations of misconduct and irregularities within the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.


Whistleblower source story from WDRB TV Louisville