Audits say Wisconsin fails to track DEI spending, GOP renews call to end the programs

State agencies and the University of Wisconsin System failed to adequately track millions of dollars spent on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to audits released Friday, fueling ongoing Republican efforts to dismantle such programs. 

The audits, ordered by the Republican-controlled Legislature, found that neither the system nor 15 state agencies kept specific records on DEI-related expenditures during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which ended June 30. Despite the lack of precise tracking, audits estimated the UW System spent about $40 million on DEI-related offices and activities. 

The reports arrive as President Donald Trump and his administration push to eliminate federal support for DEI initiatives, targeting what they describe as racially discriminatory policies. 

Trump has cited the University of Wisconsin-Madison among 50 universities under federal investigation for alleged racial bias tied to DEI programming, and one of 60 universities facing scrutiny over alleged failures to protect Jewish students during campus protests related to the war in Gaza. 

In 2019, Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order requiring each state agency to create and monitor equity and inclusion plans with the goal of addressing employment barriers. The audits reviewed agency compliance with that order, noting inconsistent enforcement and documentation. Additionally, the audit found that agencies often failed to ensure that DEI plans were fully implemented or to record how they corrected any noncompliance.

In May 2024, Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback called the audit the “most flagrant and sweeping example” of the Republicans’ “weaponizing the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau to “conduct purely ideological and politically-driven exercises.”

In an email on Friday to the Cardinal, Cudaback rebuked claims that the administration inconsistently enforced and documented DEI plan implementation. 

“The audit showed that our administration complies with state law, regularly engages with state employees and has programs designed to retain and recruit workers as one of the state’s largest employers,” Cudaback told the Cardinal.

Joint Legislative Audit Committee Republicans issued a statement Friday in which co-chair Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, slammed Evers and his support of DEI initiatives. 

“Wisconsin should not tolerate, much less propagate, race-based discrimination masquerading as equality in its halls of government,” Wimberger said. “Positioning bureaucrats as arbiters among imposed intersectional group interests is wrong, ineffective, and shockingly wasteful, allowing grifters to sell propaganda at a high price.”

In a response included with the audit, UW System President Jay Rothman emphasized that the audit data are outdated and do not reflect current staffing or priorities.

“The audit numbers released today are old and cold,” Rothman said in a statement. “Over a year ago, in an agreement with Speaker Vos, the Universities of Wisconsin began taking action to reduce DEI positions and reorient them to focus on individual student success for all. That process is ongoing, and yesterday’s numbers do not reflect today’s realities."

Republicans in Wisconsin have similarly targeted DEI programs in recent years. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has described DEI efforts as “cancerous” and has vowed to eliminate them from state government. 

In 2023, legislative Republicans struck a deal with the UW System to freeze diversity hires, reclassify about 40 DEI roles as “student success” positions and drop an affirmative action hiring initiative. In exchange, lawmakers approved funding for staff raises and construction projects.

At the time of the agreement, the UW System had 123 full-time DEI-related positions. That number dropped to 110 by May 2024 and stands at 64 as of March 2025.

“We would be disappointed if legislative leadership targeted these 64 DEI positions and the $4.4 million in state funding that provides important services for students,” Rothman said. 

Rothman added that the programs and activities captured within the audit are “very broad” and that the UW System appreciated that the Legislative Audit Bureau “clearly indicated” that the expenses identified in the report cannot be summed as they are overlapping.

Auditors estimated the UW System spent $12.5 million on salaries for DEI-related positions and an additional $8 million on related activities. Twelve state agencies reportedly spent $2.2 million on DEI staff salaries.

While DEI programs at UW-Madison have faced scrutiny in recent years, UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas told The Daily Cardinal Friday the university is committed to “fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability” and recognizes there are always areas for improvement.

“We appreciate the Legislative Audit Bureau’s efforts to understand our work to create an environment in which all members of our community are able to reach their full potential. Responsible stewardship of taxpayer funding while pursuing this and all other goals is a key value at UW–Madison,” Lucas said.

Editor's Note: This story was updated on Friday, April 11, at 1:10 p.m. CDT to include a statement from the Joint Legislative Audit Committee Republicans.

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