CalSERVE Slapped With Four Campaign Violation Suits

The first charges of campaign violations began to fly Wednesday after four suits were sent to the ASUC Judicial Council, claiming that major party CalSERVE had violations meriting immediate disqualification from elections.

Former APPLE Senator Paul LaFata alleged that CalSERVE used the ASUC-sponsored Students for Justice in Palestine rally last Friday to promote its candidates when they spoke during the rally and told participants to vote for the party's slate. He said this violated rules prohibiting use of ASUC resources in a campaign.

He also said that the rally sign "significantly blocked" students from walking to class, which is another campaign violation.

LaFata claimed another violation occurred when External Affairs Vice President Anu Joshi sent an e-mail "in official capacity" and used her ASUC title to encourage student groups to vote CalSERVE.

He also alleged that the Boalt Hall Student Association used funds from the graduate student government to endorse the entire CalSERVE slate in its voters guide.

But Graduate Assembly President Jessica Quindel said the association is not an ASUC-funded student group. Any student group that does not receive ASUC funding is allowed to publicize its own election endorsements, according to ASUC rules.

"There are a lot of assumptions being made about these violations that just aren't true," said Taina Gomez, ASUC executive vice president and CalSERVE co-signatory.

The Judicial Council has ordered a subpoena into Graduate Assembly finances to determine if the association is actually funded by the assembly.

Last week, Student Action, CalSERVE and other major parties signed an agreement pledging not to file any frivolous charges this year.

Student Action members said they had no involvement in the suits, but co-signatory Cliff Costa is going to be a witness for LaFata's case because he discovered the Boalt Hall voter guides.

LaFata also denied crossing party lines to file the suits.

"I am not an agent of Student Action," he said. "I only follow through on conditions in which allegations are illegally provable and significant."

LaFata said people throughout ASUC, including both CalSERVE and Student Action, approach him to look into possible campaign violations.

CalSERVE members do not plan to file any suits against Student Action even if they receive censures, Gomez said.

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