The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Loser cries foul, blames VP

Junior Aliza Lederer-Plaskett filed an official complaint that is currently under review by the Student Government Association, the Center for Student Ethics and Police Services, Dean of Students David Nestor said. Lederer-Plaskett accused SGA Vice President David Maciewicz, President Kofi Mensah and President-Elect Julian Golfarini of denying the students a fair election, according to the official complaint. “What it is all about is making sure that students that run this race in the future don’t have to worry for their personal health and safety,” Lederer-Plaskett said. “Campaigns are getting uglier and uglier; SGA has a history of bad campaign tactics.” Maciewicz said he sent out several emails that asked students to vote for Golfarini for president in the subject line. One of the listservs was accidentally added and was not open to use for campaign purposes. “I don’t think the email influenced it very much,” he said. “It only went to 50 people and some of those are non-voting people: graduate students, staff members. And considering we only had a 15 percent turnout, do the math.” Lederer-Plaskett accused Maciewicz of violating the federal statute The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act by illegally importing the email list into a Constant Contact account that Mensah had established for personal uses, according to the complaint. “The actions taken by David Maciewicz defrauded the UVM student body of a free and unfettered election by illegally influencing the outcome,” the complaint stated. Lederer-Plaskett stated in her complaint that Maciewicz should resign due to the severity of his actions. “I’m not going to resign,” Maciewicz said. “The allegations made in her complaint are entirely false, and I stand by the job that I have done this past year. I have every intention of serving out the rest of my term.” The complaint accuses Mensah of defrauding the student body of a free election, violating the UVM Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities and threatening Lederer-Plaskett during the election process, the complaint stated. “The statement made by Senator Plaskett that I threatened her on several occasions is completely ludicrous,” Mensah stated in his official response. Lederer-Plaskett accused Golfarini of taking away a fair election from the students as well as withholding financial information, the complaint stated. The complaint specifically calls into question two professionally produced banners that were hung in the Davis Center atrium in support of Golfarini. “There was only one professionally produced banner purchased by President-Elect Julian Golfarini,” Mensah’s response stated. Lederer-Plaskett has demanded that a full and fair review of the election be held, according to the complaint. The decision of whether or not the student body will vote again is up to SGA, Nestor said. Some members of SGA have said that they are not in favor of holding another election. “This will delegitimize the SGA,” Maciewicz said. “Students just voted and we just went through a campaign. It cost a lot of money, energy and enthusiasm. There is no need for a new election.” Lederer-Plaskett stated in her complaint that if a new election cannot be held, then the election tally should be taken from all votes cast prior to when Maciewicz sent his email. “The technology does not allow that exclusion,” Dean of Student Life Pat Brown said. As the time of Golfarini’s inauguration moves closer, the president-elect said he stands behind the election process and that his campaign followed all the rules set out by SGA. “I have no doubt that once the truth comes out, everyone involved will be vindicated,” Golfarini said. 

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Loser cries foul, blames VP