(The Center Square) – One of the Republicans in charge of the legislature’s audit committee made strong accusations for against Gov. Tony Evers’ administration over nearly $100 million in COVID-19 relief interest.
Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, on Tuesday grilled the Secretary of the Department of Administration, Kathy Blumenfeld, over an audit from December of last last year that shows the state accrued $97.2 million in interest on the $3 billion the federal government sent Wisconsin as part of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the American Rescue Plan.
Wimberger and other Republican lawmakers say the $97 million should be returned to the state’s general fund.
But Blumenfeld and the Evers’ Administration wants to keep the money in a special account, which Wimberger said the governor wants to spend on his own.
“It just seems like the things that the DOA is doing is over the edge. It’s beyond awful. And who is personally responsible, and whether the agency is responsible, I guess it’s up in the air,” Wimberger said during a hearing.