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Show 6 ASWC r FORUMFORTNIGHTLY.COM ( ? Disruption i Continued fromPage Raoux. It wasnt even 1 consid- ered a formal warning. Raoux claims that he immediately removed the posters and flyers that violated the campaign rules. Garrison, however, contests that claim, and says that Raoux broke additional rules. At the presidential forum on Wednesday night March 9, he handed out flyers to people, breaking another rule, said Garrison. He continued, Those flyers were not approved by the Office of Student Life. When you add the improperly-hun- g posters and there being more than twice the allowed amount, thats violating four of the nine campaign rules. Garrison said that Trisha Teig, the director of student involvement and leadership, promised to address these issues that night, but did nothing. Garrison said that Raouxs posters more than doubled the allowed amount, but that the issue was ignored by the Elections Committee and by Teig. I felt like I was being swept under the rug, said Garrison. I went through Katrina Maurer and Trisha Teig to make my voice heard. Thats why I filed a misconduct complaint against Katrina on Sunday night March of 12. Garrison filed the complaint because he felt Maurer and the Elections Committee were violating their own rules. He said that by refixsing to disqualify Raoux, Maurer had disregarded the election rules, and that her office was therefore forfeit By the rules of the handbook, at he should have been disqualified, said Garrison. But Katrina and the Committee didnt follow through with that The case had thus evolved from a complaint against Raoux to a trial for Maurer, charged by Garrison with ethics violations. The trial took place before the ASWC Judicial Council. Garrison, the prosecutor, represented himself. ASWC President Jon Pierce and Senator Michael Toomey de- fended Maurer. ASWCs integrity came un- der fire, and wrongfitlly so, said Toomey. The idea that ASWC was conspiring to protect Raoux from judicial harm is absurd. We Michael Toomey, an AS WC Senator, defended Katrina Maurer during her trial. He says that the trial's controversial outcome is not the fault ofASWC, but ofthe Office of Student Life. established that the hearings cus should be on Maurer. fo- - at die discretion of the Elections Chair, said Maurer. I felt that disqualifying Nick would hurt the students who voted for him the most, so I decided not to. I opted to make him take down 25 of his cam- Any punishments are paign materials. Since he hadnt posted up to the limit, that was about half of his stuff. Maurer also refuted claims that the Elections Committee is an anonymous body. The Elections Committee made up of two students-at-larand ten senators, she said. In no way was this information hidden from the public. She also noted that Garrisons is ge complaint against Raoux was echoed by the Redeem Team, a group of candidates led by presidential contender Sam Wilkinson. After hearing arguments, the Judicial Council decided to or- IncomingASWC President Nick Raoux maintains that his punishment was unfair. der Maurer to further sanction Raoux. It was decided that all candidates except Raoux would receive a 7 bonus to their vote count, and that Raoux would have to take down more advertising materials. The Judicial Council has no power over elections whatsoever, said Senator Toomey. Wed de dded that the hearing was about Katrina, but they never ruled innocence or guilt This was . The Judicial Council had out- - side help in its deliberations; Dean of Students Mark Feme agreed to weigh in on the proceedings. We spent a long time delib- erating on what the proper pun-h- er ishment would be, said Zucker-shockiman. People were upset that the ng Dean was getting involved, and that he might rig the election, so the Judicial Council worked with him. We all worked together to The line about the Dean of come up with a decision. We Students being able to intervene is - wanted to make it fair. Zuckerman reiterated that vague and wide open to interpreta- tion, said Toomey. This is not a the Judicial Council cannot re- misstep ofASWC. This is misstep move someone from office withof the Dean of Students and a ma- out giving them an order of action first. He said this was why nipulation of the Judicial Council. Toomey claims that the trial Maurers trial shifted focus to became about punishing Nick punishing Raoux. Zuckerman also addressed rather than Katrina, whom it had another issue: the bylaw that actually been about. Attorney General Jeff Zuckrequires a three-da- y period beerman refuted the idea that the tween a filed complaint and a trial. Judicial Council had overstepped We had twenty hours before its bounds. The Judicial Council cant the election voting ended, so remove someone from office it became a matter of necessary without first giving them an expediency, Zuckerman said. If order of action, said Zuckerwed waited three days, we could man. Thats why Katrina had only have acted on Thursday, to address the Raoux campaign after the main election and well before we could make another into the runoff. We knew we had decision. to act faster. Zuckerman emphasized that Chris Gibbs, a candidate for the Judicial Council found a fair the office of Chief Justice, atdecision on the Maurer trial. He tended the meeting but did not also stressed that, while Dean participate. Feme was eventually called upon I had a dog in the fight, he to help make a decision, thats all said. But I recused myself from he did: help. the vote. It wouldve been inappropriate for another candidate Friday, March 9 Garrison files another complaint against the Raoux campaign, this time in conjunction with the Redeem Team. Wednesday, March 7 The ASWC elections begin. Josh Garrison notes Nick Raoux's improperly-place- d posters and Chair Elections Katrina Maurer. notifies Raoux immediately takes the posters down. Garrison makes note of other violations. I W Sunday, March 11 Believing that the Election Committee and Trisha Teig haven't done enough to address Raoux's campaign violations, Garrison files misconduct charges against Katrina Maurer and the Elections Committee. A hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 12. |