Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez paid off a $30,000 debt to a sign company co-owned by Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan while leaving Wisconsin taxpayers on the hook for nearly $11,225 in unpaid security costs, a move captured in her latest campaign finance report filed after dropping out of the race this amid a campaign finance report scandal.
The September finance report reveals Rodriguez made four separate payments totaling $30,000 to Budget Signs & Specialties between late July and early September. The payments were categorized as “Incurred Obligation Paid,” clearing the vendor’s account as her campaign collapsed.
But the report tells a starkly different story when it comes to security expenses owed to the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration. Rodriguez has still not paid $11,225.48 in taxpayer-funded security costs incurred by her campaign, leaving the state holding the bag for candidate protection services rendered during her failed campaign.
The discrepancy raises troubling questions about Rodriguez’s priorities. With her campaign staggering under mounting debt, the report lists $231,330.56 in total outstanding obligations, she found the cash to clear the slate with the business co-owned by a sitting congressman while dodging her responsibility to reimburse the state, and therefore taxpayers, for services already provided.
Rodriguez dropped out of the gubernatorial race after previous finance reports sparked scandals, including misreporting of fundraising to pad her reports. But this latest filing suggests her focus in the race’s final stretch was settling private debts rather than honoring public obligations.
Wisconsin voters have a right to expect candidates, especially those who currently hold public office, to handle campaign funds responsibly. Rodriguez’s choice to prioritize politically connected vendors over taxpayer funded security costs is a reflection of her judgment and priorities.
