The Undergraduate Student Government Senate overwhelmingly defeated last night a proposal to impeach USG President Jaynyne Althaus, although she admitted she had lied to the senate about how she selected nominees for the Presidential Search Committee.

When Althaus was questioned by the senate last week after naming the nominees for the search committee, she claimed to have done all the interviews of candidates at the same time. But, she admitted last night, she actually interviewed the two finalists after the nominations were made.

"I misrepresented myself. I am not sorry and I hope that it won't have to happen again," Althaus said.

It was Althaus's misrepresentation of the interview process that brought on last night's impeachment proposal.

Althaus wrote a letter to the University Board of Trustees Oct. 12 naming two nominees to the search committee.

The USG representative to the search committee will be the only undergraduate student involved in the selection of a replacement for University President Bryce Jordan, who retires Aug. 31, 1990.

Neither nominee had yet been interviewed, although five people were interviewed for the position Oct. 8.

Althaus said she and her group of advisers had enough information to make the selection without further interviews.

Senate President and group member Mike McKee said Althaus and her advisers, at his suggestion, did interview the candidates the night of Oct. 12. She submitted the names the next morning.

Althaus said she lied to the senate during a meeting Oct. 17 largely to keep the nominees' confidentiality.

"At the senate meeting I was being asked questions which would reveal the candidates and I was trying to protect them," Althaus said. "At times the truth does more damage. Sometimes it is better to misrepresent the truth than to tell the truth and let it blow up and have negative effects on others."

"I had good reasons for misrepresenting myself," Althaus said. "I don't think it's a big deal."

Senators had mixed feelings about the proposed impeachment.

"I know this is no jokable matter," said West Halls senator Mark Stewart. "The president stood in front of us and said she would do it again. I don't know how we can work with this person or trust this person in the future."

"I must respect the fact that she was trying to defend those two names," said town Senator Ron Marlow. "She's gone out on a limb by saying she lied to us and saying she'd do it again. It would be pointless to pass the motion for impeachment. There have been past presidents who have done worse."

Althaus pointed out that the trustees made her personally responsible for the search committee nominations and she received the letter making the request at her residence. The letter had no guidelines for how the selections were to be made.

Althaus said she chose the method she did largely because of time constraints .

Althaus urged the senate to work with her in developing a logical, consistent plan for making executive appointments in the future.

The group of advisers choosing the nominees consisted of Althaus, McKee, town Senator Ron Marlow, USG Vice President Bill Novick, USGs Academic Assembly President Stephanie Bozym and Academic Assembly member David Krause, McKee said. Althaus chose a leader from each of the student organizations represented in the group and let those leaders choose representatives from within those organizations.