ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — A federal law enforcement inquiry is underway in connection with the controversy surrounding Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s Bronze Star, an honor he received nearly two decades after his deployment to Afghanistan and first falsely claimed he had earned it, according to a letter obtained by Spotlight on Maryland.
The development comes as Moore continues to defend his military record and points to the Army as the ultimate authority on his service. But the U.S. Department of War’s inspector general has cited a law enforcement inquiry as grounds for withholding records sought in connection with a formal complaint against a retired Army general who helped secure the governor’s long-delayed award.
BOWIE, MD – NOVEMBER 07: U.S. President Joe Biden looks on during a speech by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore at a campaign rally at Bowie State University on November 7, 2022 in Bowie, Maryland. Moore faces Republican state Rep. Dan Cox in tomorrow’s general election. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Moore’s campaign spokesman did not answer Spotlight’s questions about the inquiry or accept an invitation for an interview, but he sent an unrelated statement about the governor’s priorities in office.
In its response, the Department of War’s Office of Inspector General wrote that the requested records may be “compiled for a law enforcement inquiry, and release, at this time, could reasonably be expected to interfere with the inquiry.”
The letter also explains that law enforcement inquiries are not limited to criminal actions, but also civil actions and regulatory proceedings.
The records were sought in connection with a formal complaint against retired three-star U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Fenzel and Moore. The decorated war leader has long been cited by Moore as a good friend and military mentor.
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Fenzel also helped secure the governor’s retroactive Bronze Star in 2024, according to text messages obtained exclusively by Spotlight on Maryland, after FOX45 News first reported and the New York Times echoed that Moore lied in 2006 on a federal White House fellowship application, claiming he had been awarded the honor.
Records show the Army’s inspector general elevated the complaint to the Department of War.
The Department of War’s disclosure comes as Moore insisted this week that the military does not question his record or integrity.
CLINTON, MD – NOVEMBER 05: Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Wes Moore speaks to the congregation while attending a church service at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church on November 6, 2022 in Clinton, Maryland. Moore will face off against Trump-backed Republican Dan Cox in the general election on Tuesday. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
When pressed about his documented misstatements during a debate with Republican challenger and former Del. Dan Cox, the governor repeated claims he has made on national news programs and in reports throughout Spotlight on Maryland’s yearlong investigation.
I think about the fact that who doesn’t question my military service or my record or my integrity? The United States Army,” Moore said. “You know who doesn’t question my military record or my service, the 82nd Airborne Division.”
The Army does not issue statements that validate or disprove a soldier’s integrity. The branch will validate service and respond to public records requests, but it does not comment further or editorialize.
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Questions about Moore’s military records have never focused on his service in uniform but rather on claims he made about his time in the Armed Forces and the accomplishments he attributed to himself, several of which have been false.
Records and Moore’s biography indicate that he served in Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006, during which time Fenzel was among his military superiors.
Their relationship extended well beyond the battlefield. Fenzel served as a groomsman at Moore’s wedding and also helped shepherd the governor’s Bronze Star recommendation through the military’s approval process.
In December 2024, Fenzel personally pinned the medal on Moore during a private ceremony at Government House in Annapolis.
BOWIE, MD – NOVEMBER 07: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore speaks at a campaign rally at Bowie State University on November 7, 2022 in Bowie, Maryland. Moore faces Republican state Rep. Dan Cox in tomorrow’s general election. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
The award came after renewed scrutiny of Moore’s military record and his prior false claims that he received the decoration.
Text messages that Spotlight on Maryland obtained through a public records request between Moore and Fenzel show that the Army lieutenant general restarted the award process after an August 2024 New York Times story said Moore had never received the medal.
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Fenzel, who has not responded to Spotlight’s questions this year, previously maintained that Moore had been recommended for the award during his deployment and that administrative paperwork had not been completed.
Spotlight’s reporting revealed that Moore received an Army Commendation Medal in March 2006 — not a Bronze Star.
The Bronze Star controversy first surfaced during Moore’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
FOX45 News first reported discrepancies in Moore’s claimed award. At the time, an Army spokesperson told FOX45 News that Moore’s military file contained no record of the decoration.
The records instead listed other military honors, including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
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)
The controversy intensified in August 2024 when The New York Times obtained Moore’s 2006 White House Fellowship application, which falsely listed a Bronze Star award.
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During a news media availability on Aug. 30, 2024, after the report, Moore acknowledged the discrepancy.
“I have taken full responsibility for what was in there,” Moore said.
The governor maintained that a superior officer had instructed him to include the award.
“But it wasn’t his application. It was my application,” Moore said. “I do regret that I didn’t go back and change it.”
A Spotlight on Maryland investigation led by Drew Sullins has spent more than a year examining discrepancies between Moore’s public statements and military records.
Spotlight on Maryland has repeatedly pressed the governor for his complete military records and has sought a sit-down interview to address its findings.
Moore has refused to release his records or sit for an interview, but he has answered some of Spotlight’s questions at press conferences.
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During a March exchange with Spotlight on Maryland, Moore defended his administration’s transparency, while spokesperson Ammar Moussa vowed, “[W]e’ll come back to you with those records.”
SUN VALLEY, IDAHO – JULY 12: Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) walks to a morning session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 12, 2023 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Every July, some of the world’s most wealthy and powerful figures from the media, finance, technology and political spheres converge at the Sun Valley Resort for the exclusive weeklong conference. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Seven months later, the records have not been provided.
When pressed by email this week, Moore’s campaign spokesperson did not directly answer questions about the inspector general’s law enforcement inquiry, instead providing an unrelated statement about Moore’s accomplishments in office.
Spotlight’s questions included:
Moore’s campaign did not respond to those questions.
Throughout Spotlight’s investigation of the governor’s military records, Moore has repeatedly been invited to sit for an on-camera interview and provide evidence to refute our reporting. He has refused, but the offer stands.
Send news tips about this story or others 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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