The office of the Auditor of Public Accounts was established by the Kentucky Legislature on June 22, 1792 but did not become an elected office until the adoption of Kentucky's third constitution on June 11, 1850.
Through its early years, the auditor's office served as the official bookkeeper for the commonwealth, the chief agency for the collection of taxes, and the comptroller and general administrative officer.
The Reorganization Act of 1936 established the Auditor of Public Accounts as an impartial agency entirely independent of state administration and charged with the responsibility of auditing the accounts and financial transactions of all Commonwealth spending agencies. This remains the primary function of our office today.
In recent years, our role has expanded into areas such as conducting technology audits, special investigations, and performance reviews. As we move into the future, we expect our role to continue to expand and evolve.
Past and Current Auditors
| Name | Date | | |
47. | Mike Harmon | 2016 - Present | | [Biography] |
46. | Adam H. Edelen | 2012 - 2016 | | [Biography] |
45. | Crit Luallen | 2004 - 2008 2008 - 2012 | | [Biography] |
44. | Edward B. Hatchett, Jr. | 1996 - 2000 2000 - 2004 | | [Biography] |
43.
| A. B. Chandler, III
| 1992 - 1996
| | [Biography]
|
42.
| Bob Babbage
| 1988 - 1992
| | [Biography]
|
41.
| Mary Ann Tobin
| 1984 - 1988
| | [Biography]
|
40.
| James B. Graham
| 1980 - 1984
| | [Biography]
|
39.
| George Atkins
| 1976 - 1980
| | [Biography]
|
38.
| James Thompson
| 1969 - 1970
| | [Biography]
|
37.
| Clyde Conley
| 1968 - 1969
| | [Biography]
|
36.
| Henry H. Carter
| 1964 - 1968
| | [Biography]
|
35.
| Joseph W. Schneider
| 1960 - 1964
| | [Biography]
|
34.
| Mary Louise Foust
| 1956 - 1960 1970 - 1976 | | [Biography]
|
33.
| T. Herbert Tinsley
| 1952 - 1956
| | [Biography]
|
32.
| Harry Newman Jones
| 1948 - 1952
| | [Biography]
|
31.
| W. D. Bratcher
| 1947 - 1948
| |
|
30.
| Charles I. Ross
| 1947
| |
|
29.
| B. L. Sparks
| 1943 - 1947
|
|
|
28.
| David A. Logan
| 1940 - 1943
| | [Biography]
|
27.
| E. E. Shannon
| 1936 - 1940
| | [Biography]
|
26.
| J. Dan Talbott
| 1932 - 1936
| | [Biography]
|
25.
| Clell Coleman
| 1928 - 1932
|
|
|
24.
| William H. Shanks
| 1924 - 1928
| | [Biography]
|
23.
| John J. Craig
| 1920 - 1924
|
| [Biography]
|
22.
| T. M. Jones
| 1919 - 1920
|
| [Biography]
|
21.
| Robert L. Greene
| 1916 - 1919
| | [Biography]
|
20.
| H. M. Bosworth
| 1912 - 1916
| | [Biography]
|
19.
| Frank P. Jones
| 1908 - 1912
|
|
|
18.
| S. W. Hager
| 1904 - 1908
| | [Biography]
|
17.
| Gus G. Coulter
| 1900 - 1904
|
| [Biography]
|
16.
| John S. Sweeney
| 1900
|
|
|
15.
| Sam H. Stone
| 1896 - 1900
| | [Biography]
|
14.
| L. C. Norman
| 1887 - 1896
|
|
|
13.
| Fayette Hewitt
| 1879 - 1887
| | [Biography]
|
12.
| D. Howard Smith
| 1867 - 1879
| | [Biography]
|
11.
| A. T. Samuels
| 1863 - 1867
|
|
|
10.
| Grant Green
| 1859 - 1863
| | [Biography]
|
9.
| James A. Barbour
| 1850 - 1851
| | [Biography]
|
8.
| John Baylor Temple
| 1848 - 1850
| | [Biography]
|
7.
| H. Q. Bradley
| 1846 - 1848
|
|
|
6.
| Thomas S. Page
| 1834 - 1846 1851 - 1859
|
| [Biography]
|
5.
| Ben Shelby
| 1820 - 1834
|
| [Biography]
|
4.
| Peter Clay
| 1820
|
|
|
3.
| John Madison
| 1816 - 1820
|
|
|
2.
| George Madison
| 1796 - 1816
| | [Biography]
|
1. | William McDowell | 1792 - 1796 | | [Biography] |