Desmond ticket off the hook

The Undergraduate Student Government Elections Commission decided on Monday not to file a violation against Jaime Desmond and John Polk for campaigning early.

The commission could not find enough evidence that the ticket was violating the USG Elections Code when Polk, vice president of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, 215 HUB, reserved a banner space and window space before the campaigning period.

According to the elections code, candidates cannot begin officially campaigning before the campaigning period.

"We have no physical evidence that they reserved that space for campaigning," Head Elections Commissioner Angelo Annese said.

The space was supposed to be used for advertising for the National Pan-Hellenic Council Annual Step Show but the group decided to allow Polk and Desmond to use it after deciding to endorse the ticket, Polk said.

"After campaigning had started, (Kappa Alpha Psi) decided it would be very helpful," Polk said.

The ticket will also hang a banner above Osmond Lab in a space reserved by Julie Williams, public relations chair of Theta Alpha Pi service sorority, Desmond said. After signing Desmond's petition to get on the ballot before spring break, Williams reserved the space without the knowledge of the other officers.

Williams, who reserved the banner as a friend of Desmond, said she knew Desmond would need a lot of help in her campaign and a banner would provide good publicity. Her sorority, which has many members working for Desmond's campaign, decided to endorse Desmond but would be open to listening and meeting the other candidates.

The campaign will also use the HUB banner space normally used by LGBSA, which donated the HUB space to the ticket after it decided to endorse them, Desmond said. LGBSA Political Co-director and USG Elections Court Justice Duane Gildea was not present at the endorsement discussion.

The commission decided not to file a violation for early campaigning because Polk's reservation of the banner space received varied reactions from the other candidates.

• Wesley Bowser said he would like to see the elections stay clean and the elections code does not give him the place to comment on the violations.
  

• Jason Covener thinks that the commission did not investigate thoroughly enough and Desmond and Polk were in violation. Desmond and Polk seemed to feel that they are above the code and are being treated favorably by the USG Elections Court and commission, he added.
  

• Blythe Barron, Thane Fake's running mate, said she is fine with the decision if the commission found no evidence of wrongdoing.
  

• Michael Landsberg said if the commission could not find sufficient evidence, then he has no problem with the decision.
  

• Darin Loccarini has faith in the elections commission but he said the ticket is not acting in the spirit of the elections.
  

• David Lubkemann said he would like to get more information before making a judgment on the commission's decision not to file a violation for early campaigning.
  

• Blaine Rummel said he and Kendra Ciesla, his running mate, stand by the decision of the commission and the results of its investigation.
  

• Hank Saur said the commission should have filed a violation and allowed the court to decide the case.