The Undergraduate Student Government Judicial Panel found the Ryan Jolley/Kara Silverman presidential candidate team in violation of campaign rules Tuesday.
Angela Schmitt, candidate for off-campus senator, filed a complaint with Doug Wagner, candidate for south campus senator, against the Jolley/Silverman team for including her name on their senate slate.
“On the first day of campaigning, I saw my name on a flier (with Jolley/Silverman),” Schmitt said. “I never spoke with (Jolley); I never agreed to run with him.”
Schmitt said she is running on the Progressive Slate, which is supported by various leftist groups on campus like the Campus Green Party.
“We’re endorsing Aftab (Pureval) and (Deb) Mason,” she said. “They’re more in line with our politics.”
Schmitt said she e-mailed Jolley, asking to be removed from his campaign materials.
“He replied, saying that someone told him I would run on his slate,” she said. “But it’s pretty irresponsible. It makes me look like I’m endorsing (Jolley/Silverman), and I’m not – that wasn’t my intention.”
Jolley said the error was a miscommunication, but he said Schmitt never informed him of this prior to filing the complaint.
“She never contacted me,” he said. “The last time I talked to her was the day she turned in her petition – around February 19.”
Regardless, Jolley said the Judicial Panel should not have considered the complaint.
“In our opinion, the case should have been thrown out,” he said. “It really wasn’t a slate – it’s basically people we are endorsing, and you can endorse whoever you want.”
The Jolley/Silverman team was fined $20 for the violation and ordered not to include Schmitt’s name on any campaign materials, said Teresa Stout, chief justice of the Judicial Panel, in the ruling.
