No campaign season is complete without a little controversy. Since the start of campaigning Monday, the Board of Elections has sanctioned one candidate and warned several others for violations.
Reath posts SG positions on list of endorsements
Eric Reath, an SG secretary candidate and current speaker of the Undergraduate Senate, officially violated Board of Election regulations by posting a list of endorsements with their SG titles on his campaign website.
SG officials are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates for SG by utilizing their official positions or office power, but they are allowed to support them as students, according to election policy.
“I didn’t necessarily think a title was a power,” Reath said.
Kevin Sutherland, who is also running for SG secretary, reported the violation to the Board.
The list was posted on Monday afternoon and taken down by Wednesday night, Reath said.
He also wrote a letter of apology to the Board acknowledging his fault.
Bronstein’s endorsement video toes the line
In a superhero-themed endorsement video, Nate Bronstein endorsed SG presidential candidate Tim McBride that was seen as “pushing the limit,” Board of Elections Chair Dan Lewis said.
The video contained references to Bronstein’s tenure as SG president, including phrases like, “my time is almost up,” but never explicitly said his title.
If he had, that would have been a violation, Lewis said.
“I was extremely hesitant to approve of it, but I have to look at the way the law was written,” Lewis said. “It’s pushing, they’re pushing the limit, but it’s not there yet.”
McBride’s campaign issued a warning
While tabling for an SG-sponsored event, members of McBride’s campaign wore T-shirts promoting his candidacy – prompting a warning from Lewis.
Wearing campaign paraphernalia while performing SG functions is against to election policy, Lewis said.
“Our initial interpretation of it, which was in line with how things went last year, was that, people who support me in Student Government could passively support me while doing their work,” McBride said.
The Board changed the rules allowing SG officials to campaign for candidates as students, not as SG officials. The change was made before campaigning began, Lewis said.
McBride apologized for the mistake and insisted there was not malicious intent, but instead a misunderstanding of election policy.
“I don’t want any appearance that we’re trying to manipulate the rules at all,” McBride said.
“We’re not. We’re following the rules.”
Samirah runs into problems with election regulations
Reath filed a formal complaint against SG presidential candidate Ibraheem Samirah for campaigning in residence halls.
But Samirah went through the appropriate channels to campaign there, Lewis said, getting the approval of the resident directors and resident assistants as mandated by election policy.
Samirah said this isn’t his first problem with election regulations.
“It’s really, seriously becoming a problem for me,” Samirah said.
Samirah’s campaign created a Facebook page before the sanctioned campaigning period began Monday at 9 a.m.
The website was only being organized at this point and was not a violation, Samirah said.
Samirah also put the American University logo on his campaign material. The material was approved by the Board of Elections, Samirah said.
Samirah said Lewis approached him and told him posting the logo was copyright infringement. Through e-mail conversation, Samirah said Lewis allowed him to keep the current material but all future campaign material would not be allowed to have the logo.
Lewis was not available for comment on this particular matter.
Staff Writers Stefanie Dazio and Marie Zoglo contributed to this report.
zcohen@theeagleonline.com
