Former GOP nominee for KY attorney general saves law license after criminal charges
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Todd P’Pool negotiated deal to save law license after criminal charges.
- Court imposed a 181-day suspension, stayed 2 years if he meets probation terms.
- Resolved criminal penalties included short jail time, $10,000+ fines, restitution
J. Todd P’Pool, the 2011 Republican nominee for Kentucky attorney general, has agreed to sanctions on his law license following a series of arrests for drunken driving, wanton endangerment and assault on a police officer.
P’Pool, 52, was the Hopkins County attorney when he challenged Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway, campaigning on an agenda of coal and opposition to Obamacare. Conway defeated P’Pool by a 10-point margin and won a second term.
Starting in 2023, P’Pool was arrested for driving under the influence in separate incidents in Boyd, Franklin and Shelby counties, according to a disciplinary action handed down against him Thursday by the Kentucky Supreme Court.
During his Boyd County arrest, P’Pool verbally abused and physically assaulted Boyd County sheriff’s deputies, kicking them and causing minor injuries, according to the arrest report. “He also threatened deputies to take the cuffs off and he would roll with us any time,” deputies wrote in the report.
At the time of his Shelby County arrest, he was supposed to be on home incarceration with an ankle monitor for his Franklin County arrest. The Shelby County arrest also led to a contempt charge in the Boyd County case.
Having resolved the charges against him with a short jail stint; more than $10,000 in fines, restitution and court costs; addiction treatment and therapy; and more than 100 hours of volunteer service for Kentucky flood victims, P’Pool negotiated a deal with the Kentucky Bar Association that lets him keep his law license, the Supreme Court said Thursday.
Under the deal, P’Pool’s license will be suspended for 181 days, but that suspension is put on hold for two years if he stays out of further trouble and satisfies the terms of his probation, the Supreme Court said.
“I was fully cooperative, including my agreement to the professional sanctions that that were entered, and I’m thankful to my friends, family and the KBA for the support I’ve received in moving forward,” P’Pool said Thursday in a phone interview.
The Kentucky Bar Association website lists P’Pool with a Frankfort address.
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 3:34 PM.
