Trump allies in Wisconsin legislature are stiffing Dane, Milwaukee Co's $3 million recount costs

It appears that the Trump campaign's promise to pay for the work of Wisconsin ballot workers for the added costs incurred in unnecessary and pointless vote recounts Trump demanded as part of his futile effort to overturn the 2020 election has gone the way of that equally imaginary $200 "Medicare Card" promised to seniors, just before they went to the polls in November.

As reported in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

MADISON - The Republican-led Legislature's budget committee is holding up reimbursements to two counties for their recount costs.

President Donald Trump's campaign paid $3 million for recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties, Wisconsin's two most Democratic areas.

But two top Republicans said Friday they were withholding the money from the counties for now. They did not explain why.

The money owed to reimburse the time spent by Dane and Milwaukee counties in complying with Trump's fantasy-based demands is apparently being held up for unspecified reasons by a single, unidentified Republican member of the state's finance committee who has "objected" to paying the counties the money they are owed.

Analiese Eicher, Board Chairwoman for Dane county, provided a copy of the letter the County has received from the state's Republican-led Joint Committee on Finance:

A number of facts need to be clarified. First, it is apparent that the money was in fact "put up" for the recount by the Trump campaign, in some format, or the recounts would not have proceeded. It's unclear who from the GOP-led Wisconsin legislature is causing the funds to be held back, or whether it is a collaborative effort on the part of the state's Republican caucus. It's also unclear what, if any influence the Trump campaign has had in this matter, for example, whether the objections to disbursing the money are being urged by Donald Trump or a member of his campaign apparatus, or whether this is simply a rogue action by one deadbeat Wisconsin Republican legislator to express his or her dissatisfaction with the election results.

As reported by USA Today, by law any portion of the $3 million designated as prepayment but not needed for the recount would be returnable to the Trump campaign.

Donald Trump is certainly no stranger to stiffing his contractors, both before and during his tenure in the Oval Office. The Center for Public Integrity reported that as of June, 2019, the Trump campaign had stiffed at least ten cities for the costs incurred in covering his rallies. So this behavior, whether he or his campaign are responsible for it or not, is perfectly in character with what Americans have come to expect from any venture or business with which Trump associates himself.