A massive bribery and fraud scheme tied to commercial driver’s licenses in Washington has drawn national outrage after a deadly Florida crash involving an illegal immigrant with a fraudulently obtained CDL. The scandal centers around Skyline CDL School and a now-terminated state examiner who allegedly falsified tests in exchange for cash.
Investigators revealed that Skyline CDL School, operating in both Washington and Oregon, funneled envelopes stuffed with $520 to $530 in bribes to independent tester Jason Hodson. In return, Hodson entered passing test scores for hundreds of unqualified students — many of whom never took the exam. Between April 2023 and September 2024, Hodson recorded 877 exams, 822 of which were from Skyline. When retested, 80% failed.
The Washington Department of Licensing revoked 110 licenses and shut down Skyline’s operations in March 2024. However, the school’s Oregon branch in Hillsboro remains open. A whistleblower tipped off state officials, supplying photos of cash payments, falsified records, and incriminating messages.
Among the most serious allegations, Skyline:
- Hired instructors lacking licenses and English proficiency.
- Falsified training hours and documentation.
- Directed students to Hodson from across the state.
- Ignored federal CDL standards, especially English language requirements.
Public concern spiked after the revelation that Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant and Skyline student, was granted a CDL in Washington in 2023 despite failing English tests. Singh has since been charged with vehicular manslaughter after making an illegal U-turn in Florida that killed three people.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned Washington and other states for violating federal law. “States MUST FOLLOW THE RULES,” Duffy said. “If they had, this driver would NEVER have been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us.” Duffy warned that states issuing licenses to illegal immigrants or unqualified drivers could lose federal transportation funding.
Duffy also announced a nationwide audit of commercial driver licensing and promised tougher enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Skyline CDL case has reignited concerns over “CDL mills” — low-cost training programs that flood the roads with unqualified drivers. Washington and Oregon collectively hold more than 280,000 active CDLs, prompting fears of further gaps in oversight.
Skyline faces ongoing investigations in Oregon, where regulators fined the school for concealing its license revocation in Washington. Further action is expected as pressure mounts to clean up the CDL system nationwide.
