The ASUO Constitution Court on Thursday morning reversed the ASUO Elections Board’s decision to remove Oregon Action Team executive ticket Michelle Haley and Ted Sebastian from the ballot. Haley’s name remained on the ballot while the court decided the case.
The board moved to disqualify Haley and Sebastian because of a grievance alleging the Oregon Action Team slate distributed alcohol to volunteers under the legal drinking age in exchange for campaign support. The grievance quoted an anonymous source testifying on behalf of a roommate.
“Providing alcohol to minors is no small matter, and any attempt to do so in the furtherance of an ASUO campaign is both certainly illegal, and plainly stupid,” the opinion read.
However, the court found insufficient evidence to justify charges of bribery and disqualify the candidates from the contest. “I think the system worked as it’s supposed to,” ASUO Elections Coordinator Aaron Tuttle said. A limited amount of time to decide cases during elections results in the board making judgments and passing them on to the court, he said.
Evidence not included in the grievance but considered by the board included a Facebook exchange between Haley and Sen. Deborah Bloom in which Haley expressed knowledge and disapproval of the parties in question.
Haley questioned the legitimacy of the conversations with Bloom, saying there were multiple Michelle Haleys on Facebook, one of whom shared her birthday.
[email protected]