California senator helped Wes Moore get Bronze Star nearly 20 years after deployment

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore received help from an appointed California senator with close ties to former Vice President Kamala Harris while he pursued a Bronze Star nearly two decades after his deployment to Afghanistan, according to records obtained by Spotlight on Maryland and a retired Army colonel leading the investigation.

The congressional request did not come from either of Maryland’s two Democratic U.S. senators or any of the state’s seven Democratic House members. Instead, then-Sen. Laphonza Butler, a California Democrat, wrote to the Army secretary on Moore’s behalf on Nov. 12, 2024.

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 26: Maryland Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore addresses a campaign rally at the Stamp Student Union on the campus of the University of Maryland on October 26, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. An Army veteran, television host and former investment banker, Moore, who is leading Republican nominee Dan Cox, would be the first Black governor of Maryland if elected in November. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Seven days later, the Army approved the award.

That’s unheard of,” said Drew Sullins, a retired Army colonel leading Spotlight on Maryland’s review of Moore’s military records. “No other veteran would have access like that.”

Sullins said during a Monday interview in Baltimore that a comparable request under ordinary circumstances could take 12 to 15 months.

Moore’s Bronze Star controversy first surfaced nationally during his 2022 campaign for governor, when FOX45 News first reported that he had inaccurately described himself as a Bronze Star recipient and had not corrected the record, even though his military records did not show that he had received the medal.

The issue intensified in August 2024 after The New York Times reported that Moore had falsely listed the Bronze Star on a 2006 White House Fellowship application. Moore said a superior officer had told him the award was approved and that including it was an “honest mistake.”

However, Spotlight’s investigation has revealed that Moore knew before he left Afghanistan that he did not receive the Bronze Star. During an end-of-tour ceremony on March 1, 2006, Moore was given the Army Commendation Medal, or ARCOM, not a Bronze Star.

Capt. Wes Moore receives an Army Commendation Medal, or ARCOM, during an end-of-tour awards ceremony at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Afghanistan on March 1, 2006. (James Gottschling/Submitted)

Part of the effort to secure a Bronze Star nearly 20 years later was revealed in text messages Spotlight obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request. The messages were sent in late August 2024, after the Times article was published, and showed Moore and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Fenzel discussing the Bronze Star and other awards.

Fenzel, Moore’s close friend and former superior officer, wrote that he could “resubmit both CAB [Combat Action Badge] and Bronze Star with witness statements.”

Moore responded that the Combat Action Badge had already been addressed and that only the Bronze Star remained unresolved.

Outstanding!” Moore wrote. “That is absolutely huge! Thank you sir!”

Fenzel later pursued the request for the reconstructed award. With Army regulations generally requiring award recommendations to be submitted within two years of the service being recognized, Moore needed a member of Congress to sponsor the late request.

That sponsor became Butler, who had been appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, to complete the term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a long-serving California Democrat.

Butler had served as a senior adviser during Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, and Newsom described her at the time of her appointment as a trusted adviser to Harris.

Sullins said a source, who was not authorized to speak to the media, with knowledge of the process told him that Moore believed his political relationship with Harris’ office could help resolve the matter.

“The source that I spoke with said that the vice president’s office became involved,” Sullins said, adding that Moore had campaigned for Harris and President Joe Biden during the 2024 election.

Spotlight on Maryland has not independently verified what role, if any, Harris played.

Butler sent a letter on Nov. 12, 2024, to then-Army Secretary Christine Wormuth requesting that Moore receive the Bronze Star. The request was approved seven days later on Nov. 19, 2024.

The Moore administration has not publicly explained why the request was handled by a California senator rather than any member of Maryland’s congressional delegation.

Sullins characterized Moore’s access to Fenzel, the Army secretary, and Butler as extraordinary and said the timing appeared designed to resolve the controversy before the Biden administration left office.

According to Sullins, his source believed Moore would not receive the same level of assistance after the presidential transition.

Sullins is calling for a review by Congress, the Department of Defense inspector general or the Army inspector general.

“Somebody who can look at this, who has access to all of the records,” Sullins said, “and they can finally shake out what actually happened.”

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 3: Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) is sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on October 3, 2023. Butler was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the vacant Senate seat of California following the passing of Dianne Feinstein. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 11: (L-R) Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and Governor Kathy Hochul of New York talk during a black-tie dinner in the State Dining Room at the White House on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Biden hosted the dinner as governors gathered in Washington for the National Governor’s Association Winter Meeting. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Moore has defended his military service and described attacks on his record as politically motivated. He has not responded to Spotlight on Maryland’s written requests to address why Butler sponsored the request or whether Harris’ office assisted in the process.

Do you have any tips or information related to this story? Send news tips to gmcollins@sbgtv.com or contact Spotlight on Maryland’s hotline at (410) 467-4670.

Follow Gary Collins on X and Instagram. Spotlight on Maryland is a collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun.