I, acting on my own behalf as a concerned student, just wanted to keep everyone in the loop regarding the Election Board investigation into Jeffrey and Marquez's campaign.

There have been continual updates regarding the investigation and the resulting consequences, but as of May 1st, what is linked is most up-to-date.

Copied below for convenience.

May 1, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SGA ELECTION BOARD

During the recent SGA election, the Election Board received a complaint along with a video purporting to show a campaign worker for the Ganesh Mysore-Valerie Parks campaign engaged in door-to-door solicitation in a UMBC residence hall. Such activity, if proven, would be a violation of Residential Life policy, and therefore also a violation of the SGA Election Policy and Election Rules.

The Election Board invited the Mysore-Parks campaign to respond to this complaint and submit contrary evidence. The campaign provided sufficient and reliable evidence to prove the video had actually been created by the Jeff Kee-Marquez Fernandez campaign in an attempt to mislead the Election Board so it would penalize the Mysore-Parks campaign. Submitting false information to the Election Board in order to gain an advantage in the election is a violation of the SGA Election Policy and Election Rules.

The Election Board gave the Kee-Fernandez team an opportunity to respond and provide evidence to refute the Mysore-Parks campaign, and the Election Board launched an investigation. Evidence collected by the Election Board included, but was not limited to, in-person testimony and statements signed by three individuals who had participated in creating the video; in-person testimony and a statement signed by a member of the Residential Life staff who was on duty when the video was made; information from the entry log maintained by Residential Life for the building where the video was made; and telephone records.

Having considered all of the evidence, the Election Board determined that the overwhelming weight of the evidence supported the conclusion that the video and complaint were fraudulent, having been created and submitted at the initiative of, and with support from, Jeff Kee and members of the Kee-Fernandez campaign team, in order to mislead the Election Board and gain an advantage in the election. The Election Board determined that this conduct violated the SGA Election Policy and Election Rules, including but not limited to the Election Policy provision stating that “[p]rohibited actions included, but are not limited to: Falsifying any information transmitted to the Election Board …,” as well as Election Rules 4 and 5. Recognizing the severity of this offense and its potential to have derailed the election process, and in light of previous violations and warnings, the Election Board voted to disqualify the Kee-Fernandez ticket. The Election Board’s vote on whether to hold the Kee-Fernandez ticket responsible for this offense was unanimous in favor; and to impose disqualification as the penalty, five in favor, zero opposed, and one abstaining.

The one remaining ticket received well over the minimum (5% of votes cast) required for election to SGA positions, so Ganesh Mysore and Valerie Parks have been elected SGA President and SGA Executive Vice President.

In accordance with Article 4.2.2 of the SGA Constitution, “All decisions of the Election Board are final and not subject to appeal.”