Thompson guilty of campaign violation

After finding Michigan Student Assembly President Trent Thompson guilty of violating the MSA Elections Code, the assembly's Penalty Elections Board issued recommendations to improve campaign guidelines yesterday.

The board's report found Thompson guilty of campaigning within 50 feet of a polling site. The board gave Thompson's ticket one penalty point for the violation, which brings his total amount of violation points to two. Receiving five points is grounds for disqualification from the election. The violation occurred at a fraternity party held on March 17.

Thompson received the first point for putting up a poster on glass. Elections Director Rajeshri Gandhi said many candidates had such minor infractions.

Thompson again denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not campaign for the Students' Party within 50 feet of a polling site. He added that the Election Code does not differentiate between campaigning by a candidate and campaigning by a candidate's friends and supporters. Thompson said that although he did not know of any campaigning that took place on his behalf, it is unfair to hold him liable for the possible actions of his supporters.

"I do not believe I was campaigning within 50 feet of a polling site," Thompson said. "To my knowledge, no one was campaigning within 50 feet for me."

The report also said evidence suggested that Thompson and/or his supporters may have rewarded students with shots of alcohol in exchange for voting in the election.

Several people who spoke to the election board recalled receiving an email, which was not sent by Thompson, that promised such incentives. Thompson was present when at least one person was offered a shot in exchange for voting. The board did not think the evidence was sufficient to warrant additional action.

In an effort to combat inappropriate campaigning behavior, Gandhi and Rules and Elections Chair Josh Trapani recommended eliminating all online voting from personal computers and prohibiting the offer of incentives in exchange for voting.

Online voting could still take place in University computing sites, if the proposal is adapted.

"These proposed changes are in response to Trent's violations partially," Gandhi said. "It prompted us to think about these problems."

Trapani said the recommendations aim to ensure that the election process is fair and untainted. He said the measure to restrict online voting to University computing sites would guarantee that allegations like those surrounding Thompson do not arise again.

"If we were to make it so that you couldn't vote from a personal computer, we wouldn't have to regulate what people do in the privacy of their own homes," Trapani said.

Thompson said the allegations have hurt the image of MSA, but that he will endeavor to continue the work of the previous assembly.

"It's already affected MSA," Thompson said. "But it's not going to affect my ability.

"We're going to have to prove to students that who they elected was who they should've elected," Thompson

04-08-98