Kirkwood fires back with formal complaint: iUnity failed to report expenses

The IU Student Association Election Commission heard a formal complaint from the Kirkwood Ticket on Thursday regarding a Election Code violation that could warrant disqualification.

Elections Coordinator and senior Andrew Dahlen said both tickets were given the chance to speak, were questioned by commissioners and presented closing statements. The Election Commission will not issue a ruling until 4:30 p.m. Friday.

According to the formal complaint issued by Kirkwood ticket candidate for president and sophomore Justin Kingsolver, iUnity violated the Election Code by failing to report expenses on a Feb. 12 financial statement.

According to a financial statement filed by iUnity on Feb. 12, it had made no transactions and had no donations and no expenditures at that time. The second financial statement filed Feb. 26 shows two transactions made on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. Kingsolver said the code stipulates these expenses should have been reported on the first financial statement.

The transactions consisted of purchases made for pens and “rally” items on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11, respectively, and totaled $1,215.96.

Kingsolver said this alone constituted a violation of Election Code but was less important than a second alleged violation by the iUnity ticket.

The second part of the complaint alleges that because the transactions took place before any donations were reported, iUnity operated with a balance of $1,215.96, which Kingsolver alleges violated Section 603 of the Election Code. Kingsolver said this section of the code stipulates that a ticket cannot expend more money than it has at a given time.

Finally, the complaint alleges that balloons and a banner used at the Feb. 15 rally were unaccounted for in the Feb. 26 report.

The iUnity Chief of Staff and sophomore Neil Kelty explained the misreporting of expenditures as a result of the confusing nature of the Election Code.

“There were some complicated financial transactions with our ticket, and there was some ambiguity in the code as to how to report those,” Kelty said.

Kelty said he believes iUnity adequately explained its case to the Election Commission.

“We’re going to accept whatever the Election Commission decides,” Kelty said. “We’re ready to be done with the Election Code and focus on students.”

Kelty went on to say iUnity hopes to transition into campaigning over the next several days.

Kingsolver’s initial complaint called for iUnity’s disqualification based on the terms of the Election Code. He has since rescinded that statement.

“I would rather there be a fair and free election between the two tickets because I think we would win,” Kingsolver said.

The iUnity presidential candidate and junior Michael Coleman said a call for his ticket’s disqualification was unnecessary.

“I thought that was a really extreme reaction,” Coleman said.