Republican attorney general candidate Eric Toney is calling for an investigation into Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez’s campaign after her campaign finances were out of order.
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez recently just suspended her campaign, when recent finance issues have plagued the media. These troubles led Rodriguez to firing her campaign manager, and suspending her campaign just days later. Rodriguez’s suspension also led to Milwaukee County Exec Eric Crowley re-entering the race, despite him endorsing Rodriguez when he withdrew. (RELATED: DPI Waterpark Spending Scandal Sparks Lawsuit Over Secret Testing Meeting)
Toney, the Fond Du Lac County district attorney, is calling on Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul to review Rodriguez;s reports for possible campaign violations. Toney said that candidates should not receive a “free pass” because they are simply no longer seeking office.
Toney says that Rodriguez could be under violation of Wisconsin Statute 11.1304, which states: knowingly preparing or submitting a false campaign-finance report can result in serious penalties. An intentional violation involving more than $100 may be prosecuted as a Class 1 felony. Reports have indicated that Rodriguez’s campaign may have overstated up to $137,500 in donations for the second half of 2025 alone.
Toney said that an investigation would determine whether the reporting problems came from incompetence, negligent oversight, or intentional misconduct. Kaul and Toney will be facing off for the Wisconsin Attorney General’s seat. Kaul and Toney faced each other in the 2022 election for Attorney General, where Kaul beat Toney but just over 35,000 votes.
Toney is endorsed by the Milwaukee Police Association, 44 current and former sheriffs, along with earning the official endorsement from the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Toney has pushed hard lately that the abolition of police will make Wisconsin less safe. (RELATED:Milwaukee Food Truck Curfew Blocked Amid Lawsuit Over Late-Night Sales Ban)
Josh Kaul dodged the question surrounding the police abolition issue, most recently at the Democratic Convention in Madison. When questioned by a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter about the topic, Kaul’s only response was “I have a lot of confidence in Wisconsin voters to focus on this race in the months ahead and make a decision to get behind a nominee who will be a strong candidate.” Toney said in a radio interview on WISN that “Somebody with the ‘abolish the police’ mentality is clueless, and wants to make places like Wisconsin less safe.”
