State auditor says UI employee made nearly $1 million using equipment, staff for his business

DES MOINES — The state auditor says the former manager of the machine shop at the University of Iowa’s Department of Physics and Astronomy deposited about $1 million into his own personal bank account that should have gone to the school. 

State Auditor Rob Sand released a report on Wednesday that says Brian Busch failed to inform the UI that he owned a company called D3Signtech, violating university policy.

From July 2017 through September 2021, Sand says Busch received over $943,000 from another company for work that D3Signtech completed using university equipment and staff. Busch was placed on administrative leave by the University in September 2021.