Fox45 News has been digging into gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore’s background, finding some inaccuracies in how he’s allowed himself to be presented.
Moore is one of the top candidates for Maryland governor. Our FOX45 news investigation has revealed questions about his background and most recently his military service medals.
Over the years Moore was introduced in national media a few times, as having a bronze star.
There is a degree of ambiguity around this because Moore to my knowledge has not come out and fervently said that is inaccurate. I was indeed the recipient of a bronze star. Nor has he on the record made a correction," says Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR ."I have a unique perspective here, not only from a crisis communication standpoint, but my father was the recipient of a bronze star. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery overlooking the Pentagon. So I do have a unique perspective here.
Eldridge says Moore needs to be clear and leave no room for ambiguity.
In 2010, during a book tour event for his first book, The Other Wes Moore, Moore appeared on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report. Host Stephen Colbert introduced Moore to the show by rattling off some of Moore’s accomplishments.
“You’re a decorated veteran in the Afghan War, is that correct,” Colbert asked.
“Yes,” Moore said.
“You have a Bronze Star,” Colbert asked as a quick follow-up.
Moore can be seen in the frame of the screen before a camera cut shows just Colbert on camera. Moore appears to nod his head and says yes.
Three years later, an article appears in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talking about a book tour event Moore was holding in the city. The author of the article calls Moore a Bronze Star recipient.
Two years before the 2010 Colbert Report clip, in 2008, Moore was interviewed by PBS’ Gwen Ifill. The 2008 segment was about veterans who were supporting then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.
While the video attached to the interview wasn’t available on PBS’ website, the transcript showed Ifill too introducing Moore as a veteran who earned a Bronze Star.
FOX45 News reached out to the U.S. Army for confirmation of Moore’s Bronze Star Medal. Sgt. Pablo Saez, a U.S. Army Spokesperson, provided information regarding Moore’s military history, including his deployment to Afghanistan from August 2005 to March 2006.
Sgt. Saez said Moore’s awards include: National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device, Army Service Ribbon, and a Parachutist Badge.
“There is no record of a Bronze Star Medal in his file,” Sgt. Saez said.
A spokesperson for the Moore Campaign pushed back on the notion that Moore said he was a Bronze Star recipient himself.
In hundreds of interviews about his military service and veterans’ advocacy, Wes Moore – a decorated combat veteran who proudly volunteered to lead soldiers in combat with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan – has never claimed to have a Bronze Star,” the spokesperson said.
"Sinclair Broadcast Group’s smear campaign is now seeking to discredit Wes Moore’s honorable and decorated service to his country in combat based off of isolated times other people misstated his record,” the spokesperson continued.
"The last thing you want as a candidate or as a decorated veteran for that matter is any inaccuracies or inflated achievements related to your record of service," says Eldridge. "The bronze star was unquestionably one of the most prestigious achievements that one can be awarded or rewarded for their valor and heroism in a war zone."
"If in fact Mr. Moore was the recipient of this, his team should come out and challenge the statement released by the Army. If they’re not, this is an easy course correction because if he has never gone on the record proactively saying he was the recipient. Simply saying it’s come to our attention that others have suggested that inferred or outright claimed I’m the recipient. I am proud of my military record. I believe it stands on its own. I was in fact not a recipient of the bronze star. I am proud of my service of record and more importantly those that I had the pleasure and privilege of serving with. That’s a statement you make one time. You stand on it. You move forward. The ambiguity is the fact that neither has been directly addressed and that’s the problem."
With the primary election coming up in July, Eldridge says Moore should directly address this, not his campaign.
"It needs to be looking at a camera, preferably in a non-friendly format where he can stand up and show his valor," Eldridge says. "Not just on the battlefield, or in the boardroom, but at the podium facing his would be constituents. This is not an opposition. This is an opportunity. If he plays it right this is a chance to absolutely shine like that reported bronze star."