College Democrats suspended for mishandling club finances

Media Credit: LARANE WESCHLER/Eagle File Photo College Democrats watch the 2006 midterm elections in the Letts Sky Lounge, when Democrats won back Congress.

Student Activities suspended AU's chapter of the College Democrats last Thursday for failing to adequately deposit and keep track of money earned through fund raising last semester, according to College Democrats president Matt Kent.

According to Kent, Student Activities Director Karen Gerlach told the College Democrats they will not receive their $1,750 second-semester allocation of AU Club Council funds, but Kent said they will still function as a club.

"We fully understand their decision," Kent said. "We feel it was reached in part because before we failed to provide a complete account of our first semester finances."

Student Activities Director Karen Gerlach declined to comment, and said in an e-mail that "as is the case for any situation involving a club, things are addressed with specific club leaders only."

Kent, a junior in the School of Public Affairs who was elected president on Dec. 5, said suspicion about the club's finances was initially raised when College Democrats Treasurer Scott Wener went to Student Activities at the end of the fall semester and tried to deposit $350 of his own money.

Wener, a sophomore in SPA, resigned from his post last night.

All clubs that receive AUCC funding - which comes directly from Student Activity fees paid by each AU student - are entitled to half their allocated funds in the fall, which for the College Democrats meant $1,750 from a total $3,500 for the year. Clubs are also required to raise 10 percent of their yearly allocation through independent fund raising, according to AUCC Vice Chair Josh Goodman, and must deposit that 10 percent in their Student Activities account by the end of the fall semester in order to receive the second half of their funds in the spring.

Clubs also must keep documentation of all financial transactions in order to receive their second fund disbursement. Deposit records are necessary to prove the club has met their fundraising responsibilities, Goodman said. Because the College Democrats did not have any deposit records, it looked like they hadn't done any fundraising, he said.

"It's unfortunate, but it was a paperwork issue," Goodman said.

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