It is time to talk about the in the room.
Who’s funding Rob Sand?
by Sondra Wilson. Written spring 2025. Updated Sept. 4.

Although it is common knowledge that Rob Sand was given $7 million by his in-laws, the Lauridsens, toward his campaign for Iowa Governor, what is less commonly known is that the Lauridsens have been backing Republicans for years — Kim Reynolds, Randy Feenstra, Chuck Grassley, and the Republican Party of Iowa, to name a few.

This was not long ago — it was during the last election cycle while Republicans were slandering transgender people and working to eliminate legal protections, while they were working to violate reproductive rights, and while they were working (successfully) to strip Medicaid coverage from Iowans. Think of how many surgeries that $7 M could have paid for. That is where the $7 M should have gone. We should be demanding public apologies and restitution, not cheering on a campaign for Governor. This is already galvanizing the Democratic Party. As a longtime Democrat, I am now running as an independent for this and other reasons.

Here in Iowa, we are used to hearing that independents can’t win. They tell us that it’s hopeless, but frankly that’s not true. According to the Independent Voter Project, here’s how the math breaks down:

Democrats: 572,944 (28.21%)
Republicans: 751,809 (37.01%)
Third Party/Other: 18,504 (0.91%)
Unaffiliated: 687,979 (33.87%)

The real issue is the disproportionate media coverage, the lack of network backers, and the parties are more politically active than most Iowans who “don’t talk about politics” to our own detriment.

I am running my campaign on a comprehensive, humanitarian platform that helps all Iowans and will uplift all sectors of Iowa’s economy. It will likely appeal to progressive Democrats who feel pressured to vote for Rob despite the bipartisan funding issue, and real Republicans who long for the principled party of Lincoln, but who feel pushed out by MAGA. It will also likely appeal to jaded independents who feel hopeless because we’ve all witnessed a lifetime of corrupt politics. You can read more about this in my article, Iowa is Not a Deep Red State: We’re a Deep Jade State.

They’ve beaten us down so far into hopelessness, they would never expect a commoner to rise up and say, “I’m sick of it,” to this degree. As someone who was personally harmed very badly by the politicians Rob’s family helped put into office, I’m putting my foot down, “Enough is enough!”

In order to break our political glass ceiling here in Iowa, it is going to require a groundswell movement. I am working to build the movement, but I cannot lift it alone. Simply put, it is much bigger than me, and consists of my life’s work. I assure you, there is much more coming down the pipeline.

A Bit More About the Funding

Some contributions may be found on the Federal Election Commission’s website, however this does not include contributions to state and local politicians which might be found on the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board’s website. Moreover, it is difficult to determine whether or not the Lauridsens or their namesake company, The Lauridsen Group Inc (“L.G.I.”), finance campaigns through:

Dark money – “Dark money” refers to spending meant to influence political outcomes where the source of the money is not disclosed. The use of dark money to impact elections hit a record high in 2025. With the exorbitant amount of visible, on-the-books sums we see being pumped into Republican campaigns by Walter, Virginia, and Nixon Lauridsen (Rob’s father-in-law, who gave $4 M to help kick off Rob’s campaign), it is certainly plausible that off-the-record sums are also involved.

Shell corporations – “Shell corporations” are often set up by domestic companies in order to stash money abroad to avoid taxes — or to hide the name(s) of the owner(s) of a business(es) so that the general public does not know who owns the company. L.G.I. consists of six subsidiaries, who likely have subsidiaries and/or partnership(s) of their own. The Lauridsens reportedly own several yachts, with some registered offshore to avoid U.S. taxes. Assuming this report is true, it is likely the family owns offshore accounts. After all, such practice is popular among America’s ultra-wealthy.

The fact remains: we’ve got a registered Democrat backed by Republicans, running on a platform centered around fiscal conservatism (“going after fraud, waste, and abuse”), and who wants us to work nicely with the same Republicans who are unconstitutionally siphoning more than $200 M in tax dollars out of public schools who desperately need the funding, ripping impoverished Iowans off Medicaid and SNAP benefits, violating reproductive rights, and making it unsafe for transgender people to work or even live in Iowan — the list goes on and on. Although this should be seen a major red flag for Democrats, unfortunately many seem to have rose-colored glasses on when it comes to Rob’s campaign: he’s got a “D” next to his name, so no questions asked — we’re desperate to win an election: he’s in.

“The Iowa GOP is already gearing up to dig into this issue, and they will use this glaring concern among Iowans in order to split Democrats, and turn people against the party post-caucus.”

— Sondra Wilson

Party loyalty is not the solution when it comes to finding our way out of this mess. Iowans need to be firm with ultra-wealthy families like the Lauridsens, who have been meddling in our elections for years, and tell them, “We see what you are doing, object, and we do not consent to you gaming our elections.”

We need a Governor who will stand up for the rights, dignity, and respect of all for Iowans — not placate us into submission by telling us to roll onto our backs and have our bellies rubbed while our rights are being violated

Sondra Wilson v. Rob Sand – what’s the difference?

Rob’s campaign v. my campaign are very different from one another. First, I’ve invested years in writing an original, comprehensive platform which speaks to the needs and political desires of Iowans I’ve spoken with over the years (parts are unfinished or still behind-the-scenes, which is I’m currently working on).

We don’t see a platform from Rob’s campaign yet. I appear to be the only candidate who has a plan to help Iowans with both housing and justice reform, for example. Being as I’m not among that class of persons, I am also likely the only candidate calling to increase taxes on Iowa’s multi-millionaire and billionaire class via the Iowa Commonwealth Act. If any of them are unhappy about it and want to save money, perhaps they can do so via no longer tossing millions of dollars over our heads to game our elections. Think of all the good that money could have done to help people! Instead they spend millions bankrolling Republican candidates who harm us, and then a Democrat to lull us to back to sleep with their charming personality.

The meat and potatoes of my platform is centered around Civilian Restoration Corps (“CRC”). Modeled after Civil Conservation Corps (“CCC”), which is largely accredited with helping to dig the U.S. out of the Great Depression, the CRC is an up-to-date, modernized version of the CCC. It is a plan that will create thousands of new jobs across the state, connecting people with nature, ending Iowa’s record-high food insecurity crisis in a way that addresses environmental concerns without greenwashing, and pays Iowans to get jobs on small farms helping out farmers. FDR’s New Deal program was the Democratic Party at its best: my plan represents what Democrats should be running on. It is a plan that speaks to all Iowans, and will be a point of pride as we lead the country in this way.

Continue reading the article below, or learn more about Civilian Restoration Corps here:

For LGBT+ Iowans, it’s personal

In 2022 – the same year Kim Reynolds was slandering transgender people while the State of Iowa, controlled by Republicans, was fighting in court to kick transgender Iowans off Medicaid (Vasquez v. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services) , the Lauridsens were funding them. For many transgender Iowans, the fact that the Lauridsens now gave Rob $7 M – an amount that could have easily paid for every surgery we can’t afford – the idea of voting for Rob is a nonstarter. The Lauridsens – as well as numerous Republicans across the state – owe Iowa’s transgender population more than an apology: they owe us restitution.

Let’s take a look at an extended version of the previous quote, to show what Rob’s campaign looks like through the eyes of transgender Iowans:

The Republican Party of Iowa is implicated for racketeering in Wilson et al v Trump et al. Racketeering, in a nutshell, can be described as “funneling $$$$ through a lawfully created organization used to achieve unlawful ends”: Republican candidates knowingly and willingly, in a premeditated manner, violated the rights of women, slander and continue to harm trans folk, rip Iowans off of Medicare and Medicaid, and siphon money out if public schools to the detriment of students – the list goes on and on!!

Where did a lot of that money come from? Unfortunately, the same people who financed a fellow Democrat who is now wooing the people into just being nice to the group of people who harmed and continue to try to harm us.

When broke Democrats are shelling out millions to Rob’s Campaign, there’s a moral obligation to blow the whistle

Screenshot from Rob Sand for Iowa Facebook page:

We need Rob Sand as Auditor.
We need a Governor who will fight for Iowans

As Auditor, Rob has played a crucial role of being a much needed thorn-in-the-side of corrupt state officials. For example, in 2022 he demanded that Kim Reynolds should return the $450,000 intended for COVID relief which she allegedly misappropriated to pay for 21 governor’s office staff members (PBS). Being called out publicly like this seemed to upset Republicans, because shortly thereafter passed SF-478, a bill that Rob called “the most pro-corruption bill in Iowa history”, .

In his opening video released on his official Facebook campaign page, Rob Sand for Iowa, he pointed out several very respectable accomplishments he’s made as State Auditor, such as:

As a criminal prosecutor, he went after violent crime, corruption, and uncovered the largest lottery-rigging scheme in American history;
Created an efficiency program that saved so much money for taxpayers that it got copied in two other states;
Took a solitary stand against tax dollars being used to pay for egregious sexual harassment settlements;
Uncovered a record amount of “waste, fraud, and abuse”.

These are reasons we need Rob as Auditor — not Governor! These are also reasons that I will take Rob’s leash off by passing the Watchdog Act.

Rob’s campaign placates Iowans who are being violated while coddling Republicans

After you know who funded his campaign, his vision for Iowa begins to fall apart. His campaign, which can perhaps best be followed via his Facebook page, is largely built on emotional appeal, and largely built around being a moderate during a time we someone who will take the gloves off and enforce civil rights laws.

While Rob honestly seems like a very nice gentlemen who has performed exceptional work as State Auditor, he does not appear to have a concrete plan for the future of Iowa, nor the deep moral convictions on key issues that we need in office at this time.

Sondra Wilson asks Rob Sand to step down from bid for Governor

Iowa is not a “Deep Red State”; we’re a Deep Jade State

References

All images used herein, including copyrighted images, are being utilized for legitimate First Amendment purposes in accordance with the Fair Use Doctrine.

Rob’s announcement: https://www.facebook.com/robsandia/videos/717053214318939

Featured image; photo of Rob Sand from Iowa Starting Line, as found on “Rob Sand for Iowa” Facebook page on May 14: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1141917864642209&set=pcb.1141918051308857

Iowa Starting Line. (May 12, 2025). Smith, Oren Zachary.

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PBS. (May 1, 2022). Iowa Gov. Reynolds should return $450,000 in improperly spent COVID funds, says state auditor. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/iowa-gov-reynolds-should-return-450k-in-improperly-spent-covid-funds-says-state-auditor