Tickets file more complaints

Amidst the current IU Student Association election controversy, the Kirkwood ticket has now filed five formal complaints against the Big Red ticket.\n“Our main goal is to really ensure the elections were carried out and finalized in a fair manner,” said president-elect Joe Weis. “We just want to make sure everything is done the right way.”\nThe complaints filed by the Kirkwood ticket allege that Big Red committed five violations during their campaign for the IUSA elections. There are now more than 7 complaints under consideration between the two tickets – each side alleging the other is guilty \nof misconduct.\nThe Kirkwood ticket alleges that during the elections on March 26, both tickets had reserved an area in the Wright Quad. The Big Red ticket had the area until 8 p.m. and the Kirkwood ticket had the area until 10 p.m. The Kirkwood ticket alleges that after the Big Red ticket found out that Kirkwood was staying later, Big Red stayed. The complaint states that the Big Red ticket refused to show documentation stating that they were allowed to be there. The Kirkwood ticket stated they felt that the Big Red ticket was attempting to keep Kirkwood from receiving votes.\nThe Kirkwood ticket also alleges that a University Division Constituency for the Big Red ticket sent out a mass e-mail, breaking IUSA election codes by not placing the multiple recipients on the “blind carbon copy” line of the e-mail. The Kirkwood ticket states in the complaint that “it is also a possibility that this e-mail was the fault of the Big Red ticket’s executive directors.”\nThe last three complaints include Big Red’s using “goods” to persuade students to vote for them, directly linking the IUSA Web site from their own campaign Web site and campaigning within 50 feet of a University computer lab.\nKirkwood alleges that Big Red sent out a mass text message, offering free bread sticks from Pizza Express if students voted for Big Red.\nIn response to these allegations, Luke Fields, the presidential candidate for the Big Red ticket, said in a written statement that Big Red has responded to the claims made against them.\n“We are confident that the Elections Commission will ensure a fair and judicious process to all parties involved,” he said in the statement.\nTwo days before the IUSA election polls were to open, a complaint filed against the Kirkwood ticket by the Big Red ticket became public. The complaint alleged that a member of the Kirkwood ticket, Adam Pozza, had illegally accessed Fields’ computer and sent e-mails from Fields’ e-mail account to an IU Finance Club e-mail account and the Gmail account of Eric J. Gibson, chief of external for the Kirkwood ticket.\nIn response to the original allegations, the Kirkwood ticket asked the IUSA Elections Commission to remove Pozza’s name from the ballot. Weis said Pozza’s actions were of his own doing and not of entire ticket.\nAfter Kirkwood was elected, the Big Red ticket filed a complaint against the Kirkwood ticket to ensure a fair trial process. After an examination by University Information Technology Services, the Student Body Supreme Court of IU released a document Sunday stating Pozza forwarded the e-mails from Fields’ account to Weis. He declined to comment on that situation. \nThe Student Body Supreme Court document also states that Kirkwood will have to pay a 20 percent fine of its financial expenses.\nThe hearing for the original complaint is scheduled for April 16.\nSteve Veldkamp, director of student activities and assistant dean of students, said after scanning through some of the complaints filed by the tickets, he believes most of them stem from the original complaint filed. Veldkamp said because of the timing of the situation - after spring break but before Little 500 - the elections commission will have to move faster and work through everything.\nVeldkamp said with being a part of IUSA, there are challenges each ticket has to face.\n“I’ve watched them work hard year in and year out,” he said. “Not only with their campaign goals, but the issues that are thrust upon them by the University.”\nVeldkamp said the elected ticket will face challenges after the recent election.\n“I think once the election commissions decides or confirms who the next IUSA executives are,” he said, “they will have a challenge to regain that (student) momentum that might’ve been lost.”