MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) — While she was being trusted to manage the finances of Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez's campaign for governor, campaign manager Kara Spencer was sued over unpaid rent, Dane County court records show.

Court documents show the owner of the downtown Madison high-rise where Spencer was staying filed two small claims cases last year over unpaid rent.

Records filed in July 2025 show an unpaid balance of more than $8,000.

Spencer's personal financial challenges are in the spotlight after Rodriguez blamed her for a January campaign finance report that was riddled with errors, including duplicate donations and undocumented expenditures that gave the impression Rodriguez had far more money than she actually did.

In a statement, a Rodriguez campaign official said Rodriguez was aware of Spencer's rent issues but was told Spencer was having "challenges with her landlord regarding repairs to her apartment," and that those issues were being resolved.

Rodriguez said at a news conference Monday that Spencer was the sole staffer tasked with monitoring the campaign's finances, and the problem didn't come to light until last week, when the campaign learned a $1 million ad buy it announced had not gone through.

Democratic campaign veterans have expressed shock, and other candidates have pounced, saying such minimal financial oversight within a campaign is practically unheard of.