Democrat Taylor Wettach Pledges to Continue Auditor Sand's Legacy, Vows to Fight GOP Restrictions

Democrat Taylor Wettach, a lawyer from Muscatine running for Iowa State Auditor, told a crowd at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Saturday that he plans to carry forward the legacy of current Auditor Rob Sand, including bringing more transparency to state spending on Iowa's Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).

Wettach, who is running for the only statewide office in Iowa currently held by a Democrat, addressed voters on the final day of the Iowa State Fair soapbox series, outlining his plans to root out government corruption and maintain the office's nonpartisanship.

Wettach plans to build on Rob Sand's legacy

Wettach said he wants to continue the initiatives and priorities Sand has focused on over his past two terms, particularly his attempts to bring more transparency to state funding for Iowa's Education Savings Accounts.

The ESA program, signed into law in 2023, allows all Iowa families, regardless of income, to access taxpayer-funded education savings accounts to pay for private school tuition. Wettach said state funding going toward private education should be held to the same accountability standards as public school spending.

We're not saying that folks can't go to private schools, but we are saying that if you're taking taxpayer money, people should be able to know where that money is going, Wettach said.

Wettach also hopes to continue Sand's Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program, which provides a framework for state and local governments to increase efficiency in their operations.

Wettach vows to root out corruption, overturn law restricting auditor's office

Wettach said he has a background fighting against government corruption, citing his resignation from his job as an international trade and national security lawyer when his law firm entered into a settlement with the Trump administration following targeted executive orders.

He vowed to use the auditor's office to root out corruption in state government, starting by overturning a 2023 law restricting the powers of the state auditor. The law, which Republicans praised and Democrats panned, bars the state auditor from taking state agencies to court to force them to turn over documents and blocks the office from accessing certain types of personal information.

They (Republican lawmakers) didn't like the fact that the office was looking into a lot of the issues that were going on, and they decided to take away some of the ability of the office to get the information necessary to complete its audits, Wettach told reporters after his speech. You better believe that we're going to work to make sure we undo that law.

Wettach promises to keep auditor's office nonpartisan

Wettach said one way he plans to ensure anti-corruption and transparency in state auditing is to maintain the office's nonpartisanship. If elected, he said he would work alongside a Democratic or Republican administration.

But he said the same would not be assured if his Republican opponent and current Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer were elected, arguing she voted for the law restricting the power of the auditor's office when she served in the Iowa Senate.

They're (Republicans) trying to install Chris Cournoyer in there, and if they get her in there, we won't have an independent watchdog anymore, Wettach said. We will have a fox guarding the hen house.

Wettach said ensuring nonpartisanship in the position grows public trust in the office and leads to more robust oversight of taxpayer dollars.

When I was growing up, I was raised to understand that Iowa was built on a simple promise. If you work hard, if you follow the rules, and if you treat your neighbors with respect, you deserve to have a good life and to leave things a little better for your kids, Wettach said. This race is not about left versus right. It is about right versus wrong.

Wettach joined the race for auditor earlier this year after a brief run for southeastern Iowa's 1st Congressional District. Sand is vacating the seat to run for Iowa governor.

The Iowa State Auditor's Office is responsible for scrutinizing the finances and spending of counties, cities, universities, school districts and other governmental subdivisions in the state. It also investigates potential fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars and public funds.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register.