Democrat Gov. Moore says made 'honest mistake' claiming to have Bronze Star on WH fellowship app

Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on Thursday that he made “an honest mistake” when he claimed to be a Bronze Star recipient on a White House fellowship application that he submitted in 2006 when he was 27 years old. 

In a statement released after a report from New York Times, Moore attributed the mistake to his deputy brigade commander in the Army and he never fixed it because he was prepared to “begin the next phase” of his career.

"While serving overseas with the Army, I was encouraged to fill out an application for the White House Fellowship by my deputy brigade commander. In fact, he helped me edit it before I sent it in," Moore said. 

"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," he added.

Moore said he was "disappointed to learn" that he hadn't received the Bronze Star towards the end of his deployment.

"But I was ready to begin the next phase of my life, because the reward for service is never an award – it's the opportunity to give back to your country. When I returned home, I was focused on helping my fellow veterans, a mission I continue to advance as governor," he said.

"Still, I sincerely wish I had gone back to correct the note on my application. It was an honest mistake, and I regret not making that correction. But do not think for a moment that this attack on my record holds any bearing on how I feel about my service, my soldiers, or our country," he added.