Iowa lawmakers fret about privacy rights after allegations against sports betting probe

Two state senators have voiced concerns about Iowans' privacy rights in the wake of accusations that state police conducted "warrantless searches" as part of a sports betting investigation into student athletes at two major state universities.

Democratic Sen. Janet Petersen of Des Moines expressed dismay at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation into sports betting at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University that resulted in more than two-dozen athletes and student managers charged in the probe, as well as NCAA investigations and penalties.

The investigation and charges have drawn harsh criticism, including from the state's then-top gambling regulator, who told a parent that "a lot of people don't agree with how things were handled."

A new court filing in the case of Iowa State wrestler Paniro Johnson claims that DCI officials lied to their own agents to push the controversial investigation into online gambling at the two universities.

More: Iowa State's Kevin Dresser, Iowa's Tom Brands rail against DCI in gambling probe

A separate filing by an attorney representing former Iowa State defensive lineman Isaiah Lee and several other athletes charged in the probe accuses an Iowa law enforcement agent of going rogue about a year ago, probing online betting activity inside a college dorm without a warrant and against the commands of his supervisors.

Those allegations prompted Petersen to address her colleagues in the Capitol Wednesday morning: "I am rising today because I am very troubled with the article that was in the Register regarding how the sports betting investigation took place in Iowa. I have deep concerns about our Iowans’ right to privacy and deep concerns about DCI and how they were allowed to geofence our dormitories on state campuses, and how that investigation went down, who approved it and how it transpired.

"I think all Iowans should be concerned about what is being done to take away potentially the right to privacy of our students in their dormitories and I think we need to be watching this case closely."

Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, told Petersen he likewise "express your concerns on anyone’s individual privacy," but he defended the DCI's look into gaming.

"I think it would all do this chamber a service, not a disservice, but a service, if we would actually take a little bit more time and study the gaming laws that we pass." he said.

"I understand that you said you had some concerns there, but I would certainly caution everyone in this building, if you really want to go down this road, my colleagues, then just open the books. Free gambling everywhere, right? E-gaming. Let kids do it. Everything else. I mean, we put the DCI here in this state for a particular position to actually have some regulatory to authority to make sure we can allegedly have safe gaming here in the state with the parameters this Legislature sets up."

A day earlier, Attorney General Brenna Bird told Iowa media she wasn't concerned about the DCI investigation.

“I don’t have any concerns about that, no,” Bird said. “So, those cases aren’t in our office and my understanding was the investigation was done by DPS, so I think they would be the ones that could answer that question.”

The DCI hasn't commented on the allegations against its investigation.

The Register reached out to Gov. Kim Reynolds to see if she was looking into the allegations but hasn't heard back.

Mike Trautmann is the News Director/Politics Editor for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at mtrautmann@gannett.com; Twitter: @DMRPoliticsCzar.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa lawmaker speaks on 'warrantless searches' in sports betting probe