DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU) — A highly publicized college sports gambling investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is back in the spotlight.

A lawmaker from northwest Iowa said the agency tested geofencing software on the State Capitol Building without alerting anyone of the test.

Sixth District Representative Megan Jones, of Sioux Rapids, Iowa, told KCAU that she believes the DCI spied on people in the Capitol. Jones addressed the issue Wednesday during budget discussions including the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the DCI.

The investigation into sports betting on smartphones ended with more than 30 in-state university athletes, as well as athletic department staffers, facing illegal gambling charges.

Jones expressed concerns dating back to a senate subcommittee meeting where a lobbyist for the Department of Public Safety was asked if the Capitol had been geo-fenced.

“She was promptly informed that she would not answer that question, and so that line of questioning was cut off. If you’re not doing anything, if you hadn’t, you would quickly deny it, right? People have known about this for some time, but I think some members were kind of caught off guard today,” said Jones.

The DCI has previously been criticized for operating warrantless searches using geofencing to help determine if student-athletes were taking part in illegal mobile sports betting. More than a dozen of those student athletes charged in the case have filed civil lawsuits.

Representative Jones claimed there are many questions yet to be answered.

“If this is a cultural problem within the division and the Department of Safety, then we need to tackle that. So, I’m going to be asking some questions, and I want answers. People should not feel like they are being spied on, or their phones are being compromised, that they are being geofenced merely because they are in this building. This place is sacred,” stated jones.

Jones’ comments come as the Iowa Legislature is expected to wrap up the 2025 session this week.

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