ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — Gov. Wes Moore, who has anchored his political identity in a narrative of military service and the creed to “leave no one behind,†is facing mounting national pressure to provide a full accounting of his career after his office's explanations failed to match available records.
The scrutiny — driven by a months-long investigation by veteran Army colonel and reporter Drew Sullins for the Spotlight on Maryland series in The Baltimore Sun — centers on a growing disconnect between Moore's public storytelling and his official military documentation.
Spotlight on Maryland reporting by Drew Sullins, featured in The Baltimore Sun. (Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland)
As Sullins continues to parse the governor's record, Moore's team has had to defend the authenticity of his biographical claims while grappling with requests from journalists to release his complete personnel file and be transparent with the Marylanders the governor is paid to serve.
Moore, who has refused to answer most of Spotlight's questions, has instead provided interviews to a local news site and national outlets.
When asked last week during a CNN interview if he had provided a full accounting of his military history, Moore said he “never†mischaracterized his military career.
“I'm very proud of the service we did,†Moore said.
Spotlight's reporting has largely focused on records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and interviews with military experts and veterans who served with Moore. Investigative stories have been published weekly since April and will continue for several more weeks.
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Sullins, who served for more than 30 years in uniform, said that understanding Moore's records requires military experience and knowledge of the awards process.
To really understand Governor Moore's military records, or any veteran's military records, you need a certain level of expertise,†he said.
Sullins has led soldiers, held command and staff roles across multiple levels of the military and has investigated retroactive awards — like the Bronze Star Medal that Moore received in late 2024.
His deep dive into public records and fact-checking stemmed from the governor’s abrupt award of a Bronze Star decades after he had claimed he earned it, Sullins said.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 12: Wes Moore, governor of Maryland attends the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Legislative Conference National Town Hall at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation)
FOX45 News first reported in 2022 that Moore had inaccurately claimed the military honor in his application for a White House Fellowship before his run for governor — something Moore initially denied and blasted as a smear campaign and later described as an “honest mistake.â€
“We originally started out looking for anything related to the Bronze Star award in 2006 that he allegedly received in Afghanistan, or should have received and didn't,†Sullins said.
The Bronze Star controversy resurfaced in 2024 after the New York Times reported on the issue.
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Moore said at the time that he included the award in a 2006 White House Fellowship application after being advised by a senior officer that it had been approved, though in an August 2024 press release, Moore acknowledged that he was disappointed to learn, before leaving Afghanistan, that he had not received the Bronze Star.
The medal was ultimately awarded to Moore in December 2024, nearly 18 years after his deployment.
Sullins said his analysis expanded beyond the medal to broader claims Moore has made about combat, training, leading soldiers and his time purportedly in harm's way.
We wanted to validate all of that,†Sullins said. “So we were looking for any records that could basically support or validate any of those things.â€
According to Sullins, Spotlight filed four separate FOIA requests with the Army. None, he said, has been fully completed. The Army has released about 41 pages of documents to Spotlight while withholding records in each request. Spotlight is considering litigation against the Army to force the release of some documents.
Moore's office has separately released one record to Spotlight.
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND – MARCH 23: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (C), accompanied by Rep. April McClain-Delaney (D-MD) (L) speaks to members of the media following a roundtable on March 23, 2026 in Hagerstown, Maryland. Moore and McClain-Delaney held a meeting with Washington County community leaders to discuss their concerns about a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention warehouse near Williamsport, Maryland as part of the Trump administration’s expansion of holding facilities across the country. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
In March, Spotlight on Maryland pressed the governor at an unrelated event in Hagerstown to publicly release all records the newsroom had requested.
We continue to show transparency on everything and all things,†Moore said in March.
When asked why his office had released fewer records than other public figures who have faced scrutiny over their military records, Moore spokesman Ammar Moussa said the governor's team was in “active negotiations†with Spotlight on Maryland over the records.
“We will come back to you with those records,” Moussa said.
Spotlight on Maryland does not negotiate for public records or for disclosure in the public interest. The dispute has since widened beyond the original reporting.
RELATED | As Wes Moore demands transparency, his own records remain hidden
In response to questions Monday about Moore's recent military record disclosure to a small local online-only news outlet, the governor's office did not answer the substance of Spotlight on Maryland's questions, including whether Moore would release his records publicly. Instead, a spokesperson responded with multiple questions about David Smith, co-owner of The Baltimore Sun and the executive chairman of Sinclair, Inc., the parent company of FOX45 News.
Moore has repeatedly defended his record, saying he is proud of his service and the soldiers he served with.
But a central question of transparency remains unresolved. Why hasn't the governor released his full military personnel file to the public?
Meanwhile, two veterans and GOP gubernatorial candidates, Ed Hale and John Myrick, have authorized the release of their full military records.
Sullins said full disclosure would end the dispute.
“It would put everything to rest,†he said. “There is a story, an untold story, and we don't know all of the elements of that untold story because he will not be transparent and forthright.â€
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.
