The people watching the paper trail.

The Sentinel is an independent Iowa public-records newsroom published by Control Plane Systems LLC.

Founder, publisher, and reporter

Jonathan Auberg

Jonathan Auberg founded The Des Moines Sentinel, which launched on July 4, 2026, and leads its reporting and site stewardship. His reporting focuses on public records, automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems, and government watchdog work in the Des Moines metro.

Ownership

Stated plainly.

Control Plane Systems LLC owns and publishes The Des Moines Sentinel. Ownership does not alter the evidence standard, corrections policy, sponsor exclusions, or right-of-reply process.

Read the ownership and funding policy.

The Des Moines Sentinel · Iowa government, on the record.

Independent reporting grounded in public records, responses under Iowa Code Chapter 22 (the state's public-records law), field documentation, and other primary materials.

Reporting and site stewardship by Jonathan Auberg. Published by Control Plane Systems LLC.

Support · Send a tip · RSS feed · Masthead · Contact · Ownership and funding · Corrections · Style guide · Resources · Advertising and privacy · Verification data