Adam Edelen
| Adam Edelen | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Auditor of Kentucky | |
|
In office January 2, 2012 – January 4, 2016 |
|
| Governor |
Steve Beshear Matt Bevin |
| Preceded by | Crit Luallen |
| Succeeded by | Mike Harmon |
| Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kentucky | |
|
In office July 2008 – September 15, 2010 |
|
| Governor | Steve Beshear |
| Preceded by | Jim Cauley |
| Succeeded by | Mike Haydon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 26, 1974 Flaherty, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Kentucky |
| Website | Official website |
Adam Edelen (born November 26, 1974, in Meade County, Kentucky) was the Auditor of Public Accounts for the Commonwealth of Kentucky from January 2, 2012 to January 4, 2016. Prior to that, he was the Chief of Staff for Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear from July 2008 until September 15, 2010, when he resigned to work as a business consultant, before deciding to run for the Auditor of Public Accounts for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Edelen was born to a farm family in Meade County, Kentucky. His mother was two months shy of her 17th birthday when he was born. Edelen's parents divorced when he was young and his time as a child was divided between his mother's home in Louisville and his father's farm in rural Meade County.
Edelen is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta social fraternity.
At 21, he began his public service career as one of the youngest aides ever to serve a Kentucky governor (Paul Patton). He went on to gain experience in the private sector as a senior executive with both the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce (Commerce Lexington) and Thomas & King, Inc.
In 2008, he returned to the public sector, serving as Director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security and then as Chief of Staff to Governor Steve Beshear.
Within days of being sworn in, Edelen announced a special examination into the former administration of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. This examination was conducted at the request of the Republican Agriculture Commissioner, James Comer. The examination found rampant spending abuses and a culture of entitlement. Former commissioner and UK basketball star Richie Farmer was sentenced to 27 months in prison on federal charges and a year in prison on a state charge based on issues identified in Edelen's report.
Edelen also led an effort to reform special districts, which represent a $2.7 billion layer of government. The effort resulted in a report and a database that allowed the public to see basic financial information about roughly 1,200 entities such as libraries, fire districts and health departments. In 2013, Edelen helped shepherd a measure through the legislature to bring more accountability and transparency to the entities. House Bill 1 – as dubbed by the Speaker of the House – passed with broad, bipartisan support. The National State Auditors Association selected the initiative as one of its Excellence in Accountability Award recipients. The initiative was called the "biggest good government initiative we have had since the 1990s" by the leadership of Common Cause KY.
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