University of Iowa Professor Improperly Spent $295K, Auditor Says. He Denies Wrongdoing.
JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA, JUL 30 – Nearly $295,000 was diverted from university grants to personal business expenses including animal care and legal fees, according to the Auditor of State report.
- On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand's investigation shows nearly $295,000 in improper disbursements by Dr. Calvin Carter and Charles Searby at the University of Iowa.
- Flagging irregular charges in summer of 2023, University of Iowa officials approached the auditor after routine procurement reviews flagged unapproved spending that allegedly supported Dr. Calvin Carter’s personal business, Geminii, Inc.
- The audit identified $294,913.41 in improper disbursements, including $128,463.98 for animal care, $82,252.39 for legal fees, and $51,222.76 for lab and technology purchases.
- University of Iowa said it has already revised its conflict of interest and commitment policies, and Carter and Searby will receive due process as Sand holds a Zoom conference at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
- Moving forward, Sand is calling for stronger conflict of interest disclosures and tighter spending oversight, as the report recommends bolstering documentation procedures after auditors found verification failures at the University of Iowa.
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UI Professor found to make $300,000 in improper, unsupported purchases for research - The Daily Iowan
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand released a special investigation report on Wednesday that identified that the University of Iowa Professor Dr. Calvin Carter and his research assistant, Charles Searby, made more than $300,000 in improper and unsupported purchases from 2016 to 2023 when they were placed on leave. The special investigation comes after UI officials contacted the state auditor in 2023 after a regular review of university procurements fou…
State Auditor's Office flags $300,000 in misdirected UI research funds - Radio Iowa
A special investigation by the State Auditor’s Office has found more than $300,000 in funding for research by a University of Iowa faculty member was either improper or wasn’t clearly documented. State Auditor Rob Sand’s staff reviewed documents that stretched over a seven year period. “A number of these invoices that were ultimately public dollars, […]


University of Iowa professor improperly spent $295K, auditor says. He denies wrongdoing.
State Auditor Rob Sand says a University of Iowa professor spent $295,000 on research for his private startup in violation of university policies.
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