Richie Farmer Billed State For $359 Hotel Suite During Sweet 16. I Guess He Can't Help Himself. He Feels Like A Boy King!

Richie Farmer billed state for $359 hotel suite during Sweet 16
Written by Tom Loftus

FRANKFORT, Ky. — State Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer billed taxpayers for a four-night stay in a $359 hotel suite during the Boys Sweet 16 basketball tournament in Lexington last month.

Department of Agriculture records, obtained by The Courier-Journal under the state open records law, show taxpayers paid a total of $1,436 for the suite at the Hilton Lexington Downtown.

Farmer, a basketball star in high school and at the University of Kentucky, also billed the state for $40 for valet parking, $100.52 in room taxes and $120 in meals between March 16-20 — bringing the total tab to $1,696.52.

The expenses were paid because the Department of Agriculture has used the popular sporting event since Farmer became commissioner to promote its “Kentucky Proud” farm marketing program, said Bill Clary, director of public relations for the department.

“Kentucky Proud ... is one of the major advertisers in the Sweet 16, both in the radio network and in the arena itself,” Clary said. “And the commissioner uses that time to visit with people and promote Kentucky Proud. He basically decamps down to Lexington and moves his office in a sense down there for those several days.”

Farmer, who lives in Frankfort, did not respond to requests for an interview for this story.

Farmer is running for lieutenant governor on a ticket with Senate President David Williams, the candidate for governor, in the May 17 Republican primary.

The campaign has emphasized fiscal conservatism in government — at a time when the state faces serious budget problems — as a key issue.

In response to a request for comment, campaign manager Scott Jennings released a statement noting that the Agriculture Department's budget has been cut by 30 percent and has 20 percent fewer workers since Farmer took office in January 2004.

The budget cuts were imposed by the legislature in response to a drop in state revenues caused by the national economic recession.

“Richie implemented cross-training among his employees so they can do multiple jobs. Conservatives want government to operate with less money and fewer people and that's exactly why Richie Farmer is a leader with a proven conservative record,” Jennings said.

But other campaigns for governor criticized Farmer's stay at the hotel in Lexington which, according to Map Quest, is just a 24-mile drive, and 34 minutes, from his home in Frankfort.

“Again, I think this shows where Richie Farmer's priorities are with his budget, just like his refusing to take voluntary unpaid furloughs that other state employees must take,” said Sarah Reidy, manager of the campaign of Republican Bobbie Holsclaw, the Jefferson County clerk. “At a time when people are tightening their belts, he doesn't seem to be doing that.”

David Adams, manager of Louisville businessman Phil Moffett's GOP campaign for governor, said, “Don't these guys know how to shop for prices on the Internet? That's just embarrassing. ... I would imagine that if you went down the road you could find a room for $60 a night.”