WASHINGTON (WBFF) — The former U.S. senator who helped Maryland Gov. Wes Moore obtain a Bronze Star nearly two decades after his Afghanistan deployment has not answered questions for more than a month about why she intervened or whether the Biden White House helped facilitate the effort.
Records obtained by Spotlight on Maryland through a public records request show former California Sen. Laphonza Butler, a Democrat, initiated a process that resulted in a retroactive Bronze Star.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 18: Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) listens as Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra gives remarks on reproductive care alongside Senate Democrats at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building on June 18, 2024 in Washington, DC. Becerra will embark on a tour through parts of the United States on behalf of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to promote access to reproductive care. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Butler’s referral letter came more than two years after FOX45 News first reported that Moore had falsely listed the Bronze Star on a 2006 White House Fellowship application, despite not receiving the medal until 2024. Moore has called the claim an “honest mistake,” saying a superior officer had submitted him for the award and encouraged him to include it on the application.
The medal and the circumstances surrounding its delayed approval have become part of Spotlight on Maryland’s continuing investigation into Moore’s military history, his descriptions of his service and records his administration pledged, but has not fully released, to the public.
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For months, Spotlight on Maryland sent letters, placed telephone calls and left messages seeking an interview with Butler or any response about the recommendation letter. Butler has not responded.
Moore’s communications director, David Turner, said in June that the governor had no direct contact with Butler. Turner acknowledged, however, that he contacted the former senator in April or May while Spotlight on Maryland was reporting on the governor’s military records.
“I was notifying her that her name would be mentioned in this farce of a series,” Turner said in an email.
I do this as a matter of practice when individuals may not be aware they will be named in a story involving the Governor or our office,” he added.
When asked whether he advised Butler not to discuss the Bronze Star issue with the media, Turner said, “No, this is categorically false.”
David Turner, senior advisor and communications director for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, spoke with Spotlight on Maryland at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday, December 31, 2025. (Zackary Lang/Spotlight on Maryland)
After repeated requests went unanswered, Spotlight on Maryland traveled to Butler’s consulting office in Washington. A worker said Butler was not there and accepted a business card, saying her staff would make contact.
A week later, she still has not responded.
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Spotlight on Maryland then visited Butler’s Washington, D.C., residence. No one answered the door or responded through the home’s doorbell camera system. A written request for an interview was left at the property.
Among the unanswered questions are why Butler intervened in Moore’s case, when she or her staff first discussed the matter with Moore’s representatives, and whether then-Vice President Kamala Harris played any role in connecting Butler with the governor’s request.
Butler was appointed to the Senate in 2023 by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, after the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow California Democrat. Before entering the Senate, Butler had served as a senior adviser to Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.
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)
It also remains unclear whether Butler had previously met Moore and what information she reviewed before signing the referral.
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Spotlight on Maryland contacted every member of the U.S. House and Senate Armed Services committees, as well as the Pentagon and the White House, to learn more about whether required procedures were followed and if Moore received special treatment not offered to veterans who don’t hold political offices.
Rep. Sarah Elfreth, an Annapolis Democrat and the only Maryland member on the committees, declined to comment, according to a spokesperson.
“Wes Moore is a failed governor who lied about receiving a Bronze Star, can’t rebuild a bridge, and allowed millions of gallons of raw sewage to be dumped into our great Potomac River,” said David Ingle, a White House spokesperson.
“Wes Moore is a lightweight and a fraud,” Ingle added.
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.
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