DOT makes nearly $1 billion mistake; DOA refuses to fix IT concerns
MADISON – Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) and Representative Robert Wittke (R-Caledonia) released the following statement after the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau issued Report 25-33, the annual audit of the state’s financial statements for the 2024-25 fiscal year:
“The Wisconsin DOT made a nearly $1 billion mistake, and it was only caught because of the oversight by legislative auditors. This highlights the critical oversight role that the Legislature provides for the people of Wisconsin, and once again proves how short-sighted Governor Evers’ veto of four new auditor positions was.”
In June, the Legislature approved four additional auditors to assist the state auditor in accountability work in the 2025-27 biennial state budget. All four positions were removed by Governor Evers’ partial veto of the bill.
“State agencies must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and providing accurate and complete financial statements is a major part in good governance. We understand that mistakes happen, but the same mistakes happening year after year raises significant concerns. We look forward to following up with agency leaders to ensure their full compliance with state law.”
Auditors identified four significant deficiencies, and one material weakness in internal controls over financial reporting. The audit found that the Department of Transportation made changes to their estimations methodology that resulted in an accounting error of nearly $1 billion. Additionally, the Legislative Audit Bureau found significant deficiencies and statutory noncompliance in the Department of Administration’s IT security policies. These audit findings have been found for numerous years, with no corrections taken by DOA.
