Kentucky USA – corrupt money for drivers’ licenses and whistleblowing
This article, by the US Appalachian News Express, reminds us that even in developed countries, the old fashioned corruption of money for services exists no matter how developed we believe the systems to be. Additionally, it involved a whistleblower who ended up being fired, which is still not resolved. The article noted that “the allegations undermine far more than traffic safety. A driver’s license is a gateway document. It can be used to open bank accounts, vote, buy firearms, and board planes. When credentials are sold illegally, it creates opportunities for identity fraud, financial crimes, and even threats to national security.” The issue of a driver’s license, simply as a license for a person to drive a car is also very important, as driving a car or truck can put many people’s lives in danger. What was also disturbing was that this had been going on for two years and was only unearthed by a brave whistleblower.
Why is this so important? When we look at developed countries, we assume that such low level corruption, in this case approximately $200 per license, is not worth it as so much is at stake for the public servant. The question in this case is how it occurred, why did the systems in Louisville, Kentucky not work, and finally why was it not uncovered by other systems or audits, which should have been in place to begin with. It took a whistleblower to bring this forward, whose fate is not known. No doubt there are many investigations ongoing, but this is a reminder that vigilance is key to uncovering corruption, regardless of where it occurs. And a final note, we also must encourage and support whistleblowers, and the person who brought this issue forward is the real hero.
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