Dem Defending Walz’s Military Record Has His Own History Of Claiming Honor He Never Earned

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland falsely claimed on an application to have been awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his Army service in Afghanistan in 2006, according to The New York Times.

Moore claimed to have received the honor on a White House fellowship application in 2006, and has failed to correct television hosts who have wrongly introduced him as a recipient of the award in the past, the New York Times reported. Moore, who has also defended Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz amid his accusations of stolen valor, called the discrepancy an “honest mistake” and expressed regret for not correcting his application, according to a statement from Thursday. 

“I was encouraged to fill out an application for the White House Fellowship by my deputy brigade commander,” Moore said in a statement. “In fact, he helped me edit it before I sent it in. At the time, he had recommended me for the Bronze Star. He told me to include the Bronze Star award on my application after confirming with two other senior-level officers that they had also signed off on the commendation.”

“Still, I sincerely wish I had gone back to correct the note on my application,” Moore continued. “It was an honest mistake, and I regret not making that correction.”

Moore had not received either the Bronze Star or the Combat Army Badge at the time that he submitted his application in January of 2006, the New York Times confirmed. He was eventually awarded the Combat Army Badge in May 2006, but there is no record of him ever receiving a Bronze Star.

“Over the last few weeks, our country has grown used to seeing what it looks like when a veteran’s integrity is attacked for political gain,” Moore said in the statement. “But those who seek to cast doubt on our records misunderstand something fundamental about true patriots, who have put on the flag of our country and put everything on the line to be called Americans: We don’t get shaken. We put our heads down, and we do the work. And that is what I will continue to do.”