This year’s top two ASUO Executive candidates spent around $4,000 each on their campaigns and will not be reprimanded for any elections violations related to spending.
Despite not having a slate, the campaign of president and vice president elects Emily McLain and Chii-San SunOwen spent more than Sara Hamilton and Athan Papailiou, who supported 18 candidates on their Campaign for Change.
Elections Coordinator Dante Vivanco said that to his knowledge, it is very rare for candidates to spend more than $3,000.
“From my understanding, this has been the year with the most money spent,” he said.
Campaign contribution and expenditure forms for the ASUO election show Hamilton and Papailiou’s Campaign for Change accepted a donation in an amount twice the maximum amount allowed by election rules.
The first of three forms submitted by the campaign (which was due March 16) shows a donation in the amount of $1,000 from “Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton.” Election rule 6.7 forbids contributions in excess of $500 from any one individual or group.
Vivanco said when he saw the $1,000 donation, he assumed it was meant to be $500 from each of the Hamiltons, which would not violate the rule. He said because the campaign had followed other contribution rules, he did not think it would do something so “blatant” as to accept a single donation over $500.
Student Sen. Natalie Kinsey, who tracked the campaign’s finances, said she initially overlooked the fact that this donation was a rule violation, and despite having recorded it on the form, which was due a month before the general election, she was only made aware of the violation last week.
The other forms turned in by the campaign show they spent far more money than they took in. They received $2,914 in monetary and material contributions through the end of the primary election and spent $3,820.51.
Hamilton and Papailiou did not turn in the final contribution and expenditure form that was due April 20, but Kinsey e-mailed a copy to the Emerald.
Vivanco said although candidates who fail to turn the forms in during the election are forbidden from campaigning, there is no punishment for those who do not turn in the last form, which is due at 5 p.m. the last day of the general election.
He said there are no ramifications because the only punishment the board can give out “has no bearing” when the election is over.
Kinsey’s e-mail says the campaign did not take in any more money during the week of the general election but spent $177.03, bringing their total expenditures to $3,997.54.
McLain and SunOwen took in $4,461.72 in monetary and material contributions over the course of their campaign. The campaign spent $4,349.67.
Vivanco said there is no regulation regarding what candidates must do with money that is donated but not spent.
Most of the contributions to the McLain/SunOwen campaign came from individuals and range from 25 cents to $500. Most of their money was spent on T-shirts ($3,325) and copying/printing costs. Hamilton and Papailiou spent $2,901.75 on T-shirts. Other expenses were for their campaign U-Haul, which cost $150 for a parking spot outside the EMU for 10 days and $220 to rent.
Kinsey said the money taken in and spent by Hamilton and Papailiou was distributed among every candidate on the “Campaign for Change.” The forms turned in by the “Progressive Action Coalition” (PAC-8) and the “Campus Improvement Movement” prior to the general election also indicate every member of those slates was covered by the same expenses.
Outgoing President Jared Axelrod said he does not recall how much money he spent on his campaign, but an article from the April 11, 2006, edition of the Emerald says Axelrod spent $1,542.12 on the primary election, where he received the most votes.
Contact the reporter at [email protected]