Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission

Commission Members

Anthony Wilhoit

Judge Wilhoit was appointed to the Commission by the Speaker of the House in 2016. He was the Executive Director of the Legislative Ethics Commission from November, 1997 until he retired in July, 2015. In 1976, he joined the Kentucky Court of Appeals, and he retired as Chief Judge in 1997. Judge Wilhoit also served as a police judge, Versailles City Attorney, Woodford County Attorney, state public defender, and deputy secretary of the Justice Cabinet. He earned an A.B. from Thomas More College, a law degree from the University of Kentucky, and an LLM from the University of Virginia. In 2012, Judge Wilhoit received the COGEL Award, the highest international award given to a person working in the fields of ethics, campaign finance, and election law. He lives in Versailles.

Ernest L. Harris, Jr.

Former Senator Harris was appointed to the Commission by the President of the Senate in May, 2021. Mr. Harris is a native of Oldham County and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He also has a master’s in management from Webster University. Mr. Harris served his country for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a Lt. Colonel. After his Air Force career, he flew for UPS as a Boeing 757/767 captain. He served in the Kentucky Senate from 1995 until his retirement in 2020. He lives on the family farm in Oldham County.

Arnold Simpson

Former State Representative Arnold R. Simpson was appointed to the Commission by the LRC in September 2021. He was born in Somerset, Kentucky, and was raised in Covington. He received his BA in Political Science in 1974 from Kentucky State University, and his Juris Doctor in 1977 from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He practiced law from 1978 until his retirement in 2018. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1994 to 2018. He also served as the Covington City Manager from 1986 to 1989, and the Assistant City Manager from 1984 to 1986. He has served on numerous community boards and organizations. He and his wife Jo Ann reside in Covington.

Tanya Pullin, Vice-Chairman of the Commission

Judge Tanya Pullin was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in May 2020. She graduated from Greenup County High School and received a B.S. from the University of Kentucky. She received an M.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Judge Pullin served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2001 to 2016. From 2016 to 2019, she served as an Administrative Law Judge in the Department of Workers’ Claims. Judge Pullin currently resides in South Shore in Greenup County.

David L. Nicholas, Chairman of the Commission

Mr. Nicholas was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in October, 2018. He has worked for 15 years for the General Assembly as Staff Administrator of the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee. Prior to that, he was Director of the Division of Occupations and Professions in the Finance Cabinet for 18 years. Mr. Nicholas has a Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He is a member of Buck Run Baptist Church and member of the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Golf Association. He and his wife Pat live in Frankfort and have four children and five grandchildren.

Sheldon Baugh

Former State Representative Sheldon E. Baugh of Russellville was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in July 2017. Mr. Baugh has an insurance agency in Russellville, and he served in the House of Representatives from January 1995 to January 2008. He attended Western Kentucky University, and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1962 to 1966. Mr. Baugh was a Magistrate on the Logan County Fiscal Court from 1977 to 1981, and he served as Midwest Director and two-term President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors. He is a member and former President of the Russellville Rotary Club, and he and his wife Brenda have two children.

Vacant

This Commission seat is vacant at the moment.

Katherine Gail Russell

Ms. Russell was appointed to the Commission by the Speaker of the House in May, 2021. She has a private law practice with the law firm of Tilford Dobbins & Schmidt PLLC in the area of bankruptcy, banking and collections, and serves on the Uniform Law Commission and on the Visiting Committee of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. A former Secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet, she also served as Counsel to the House Speaker, as a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission, the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership Board, the Kentucky 911 Services Board, and as the Small Business Ombudsman for the Public Protection Cabinet. She also has served as a Special Justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court. A native of Murray, Kentucky, she received her B.A. with highest distinction from the University of Mississippi and received her J.D. from the University of Kentucky.

Vacant