Farmer hire found guilty of ethics code violation

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A woman linked with former state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer has been found guilty of an ethics code violation for falsifying timesheets.

The state Executive Branch Ethics Commission on Friday ordered Stephanie Hiser to pay a $5,000 fine — the maximum under state law. The commission accepted a hearing officer’s findings that Hiser did little work in her job at the state Agriculture Department.

Hiser can appeal the ruling. Her attorney, Theodore Shouse, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Hiser was Farmer’s girlfriend when he hired her as a staff assistant. She held the $5,000-per-month job from Oct. 31, 2011, until the start of 2012, when she was fired by James Comer after he took office as state agriculture commissioner. Hiser’s name was Stephanie Sandmann at the time.