Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission

Commission Members

Anthony Wilhoit, Chairman of the Commission

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.

Pat Freibert

Former Representative Freibert was re-appointed to the Commission by the President of the Senate in November, 2008. She previously served on the Ethics Commission from 2000-2004. She is a former member of the House of Representatives. Mrs. Freibert has a long record of involvement in political, civic, educational, and charitable affairs for which she has received local, state and national recognition. She is also a free lance writer for several publications. In 2004, Mrs. Freibert was appointed by Governor Ernie Fletcher to the Kentucky Commission on Women and served as Chairwoman. She resides in Lexington, Kentucky.

Tony Goetz

Mr. Goetz was appointed to the Commision by the LRC in April, 2017. He is a native of Daviess County, and a graduate of Brescia University in Owensboro. He began his graduate work at George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, and completed his Master’s Degree at UK in 1970. He has served as Executive Director of the Owensboro Council for Retarded Children (1965-1967) and the Blue Grass Association for Mental Retardation (1967-1973). From 1973-1975, he was Executive Director of the Blue Grass Regional Health Planning Council and then served as Executive Director of the East Kentucky Health Systems Agency from 1976-1980. In 1980, he was named Associate Dean in Administration and Finance of the UK Medical School, and served in that and various other administrative positions at the University through 2003. His last position at UK was Director of Government Relations. In 2004-2005, he served as the Governor’s Legislative Liaison. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Jessamine County.

Dan Kelly

Former State Senator and Circuit Judge Dan Kelly was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in December 2018. Judge Kelly served 19 years in the Senate, including four years as Minority Leader and nine years as Majority Leader, before serving five years as a Circuit Court Judge. He was born in Springfield, Kentucky, but raised in the military with his Father, who was activated with the Kentucky National Guard during the Korean conflict. Judge Kelly graduated from Texas A&M University, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, and served four years active duty and 19 years in the active reserves with the 100th Division in Louisville, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He attended the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law while working for the Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission, then moved home to Springfield and practiced law for 30 years, including eight years as Springfield’s city attorney. Judge Kelly and his wife Darlene live in Springfield and have five children and 13 grandchildren.

David L. Nicholas

Mr. Nicholas was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in October, 2018. He’s a native of Hodgenville, and worked for 14 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 Deacon at Buck Run Baptist Church and Tournament Chairman for the Kentucky Golf Association. He and his wife Pat live in Frankfort and have four children and five grandchildren.

Sheldon Baugh, Vice-Chairman of the Commission

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.

Elmer George

Mr. George was appointed to the Commission by the Speaker of the House in January, 2014. He is currently a practicing lawyer in Marion County. He's a Graduate of Bellarmine University and University of Kentucky Law School. He and his wife live in Lebanon, Kentucky.

Phil Huddleston

Mr. Huddleston was appointed to the Commission by the Speaker of the House in August, 2017. He’s a native of Albany, and served more than 30 years in state government in a variety of roles, including as a legislative and policy analyst as well as chief of staff to the President of the Senate and chief of staff to the Lt. Governor. Mr. Huddleston has served on the board for the Lexington Hearing and Speech Center, the Kentucky Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Human Services Coordination Alliance, and the Frankfort Salvation Army. He and his wife Pat live in Frankfort and have a daughter and two grandchildren.

Paula Sherlock

Judge Sherlock was appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the House in 2018. She served as a Family Court Judge in Jefferson County from 2005 until her retirement as Chief Judge of Family Court in 2017. She was selected as Judge of the Year by the Louisville Bar Association in 2015, the Women Lawyers Association in 2016, and the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys of Kentucky in 2014. In 2013, Kosair Children's Hospital selected her as Child Advocate of the Year. In 2017, Judge Sherlock was appointed by the Kentucky Supreme Court to serve on the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, which reviews all child deaths and near deaths due to caregiver abuse and neglect. She was on the Board of Directors of the LBA, the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, and the Family Court Rules Committee. Judge Sherlock has been active in community organizations such as Volunteers of America, Operation Open Arms, and Dress for Success. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Colorado, a Master’s at Campbell University, and her J.D. from Washington & Lee University. She and her husband, Ike, reside in Prospect, Ky.