The ASUO’s elections begin today, but the race to be the next ASUO president has already experienced its first accusation of impropriety.
Presidential candidate Amelie Rousseau acknowledged using a copy machine in the ASUO office to make campaign fliers during winter term, which is a violation of an ASUO rule.
Rousseau said someone else in the office found her making the fliers and reprimanded her.
“I was told it was against the rules and I stopped,” she said. Rousseau said she had both destroyed the fliers she created and repaid the ASUO for the cost of making them.
Using the copier violated an ASUO rule against using money raised through student fees for campaign-related activities.
Rousseau is the ASUO’s events coordinator and works in the office that contains the copier. No action has been taken against her by the executive’s staff for using the machine.
Rousseau could still face consequences from the ASUO’s Elections Board for making the fliers.
However, members of the body that administers the ASUO’s elections have said they will only take action against candidates if formal complaints are filed, rather than punishing candidates for violations themselves.
No formal complaint has been filed against Rousseau,; although, a poster on the Oregon Commentator’s Web site told readers to “Consider a grievance already filed,” while another said the political action committee Students for Responsible Government “is investigating this further.”
Students for Responsible Government founder Tony Mecum did not return the Emerald’s phone calls on the subject.
However, some of Rousseau’s opponents were reluctant to criticize her for the incident.
“Unless there’s evidence or a grievance, it’s just a rumor,” ASUO spokesperson Curtis Haley said.
Haley is running for a seat on the EMU Board on a slate with Rousseau’s rival for the presidency Jairo Castaneda. He indicated Castaneda had a similar opinion.
Haley said candidates hoped the current election would not “be like last year,” referring to the 2009 presidential election many saw as marred by grievances.
Then, the Elections Board repeatedly tried to kick candidates from the ballot in response to grievances from rival campaigns, only to be overruled after threats of legal action and consultation with the University administration.
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