FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Richie Farmer was a sweet-shooting guard for the University of Kentucky beloved for being part of a steadfast group of players who turned the team around after some tough years.

But as a politician, the sports icon fostered what state auditors would term as "a toxic culture of entitlement" in the state Department of Agriculture.

A newly released government audit found that Farmer had hired his girlfriend at the agency though she was rarely seen performing any work and used government workers like servants to chauffer his dog, mow his lawn, take him shopping and even field dress a deer he once shot from his government vehicle.

The homegrown athlete from impoverished Clay County remains one of the biggest names for fans of one of the country's most successful programs. His jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena alongside the likes of Dan Issel, Pat Riley, Kenny Walker and Sam Bowie.