Bevin Appoints New ABC Commissioner

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has appointed a new leader for the agency that regulates Kentucky's alcohol industry.

Christy Trout will be the first woman to become commissioner for Kentucky's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Public Protection Cabinet Secretary David Dickerson announced the appointment Friday.

Trout replaces former commissioner Steven Edwards. Bevin fired Edwards after five months on the job, saying he had "lost confidence" in his ability to lead the agency.

Trout was a special assistant at the agency and is the former chief of staff for the Personnel Cabinet.

An attorney, Trout once clerked for a federal judge before starting her own law practice specializing in commercial litigation and federal criminal defense. A Letcher County native, Trout has degrees from the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.