The University of Wisconsin Student Election Commission and the student organization Robbie Earl for ASM 2005 debated in front of the Student Judiciary Wednesday night the alleged use of Associated Students of Madison funding to campaign for the unknowing UW hockey player.

SEC chair Tim Leonard argued the student organization used ASM funding, which had been allocated to them earlier this year, for election purposes in their campaign. He said this is against ASM election rules.

“It is an ASM by-law and open-field policy,” Leonard said. “The money can’t be used for an election purpose.”

The issue over the ASM money first surfaced April 11, when five SEC members raised concerns about the organization’s use of the funds at a meeting following the spring elections. Robbie Earl for ASM 2005 received $200 from open grant funding and spent the money on campaign supplies such as chalk and supplies for flyers.

An investigation into the issue was launched to determine whether or not the funding was used improperly. Earl, a sophomore hockey player, said he was unaware of the campaign. This made it difficult for SEC members to know whether or not the funding was used inappropriately.

Robbie Earl for ASM 2005 member Dan Hammer emphasized throughout the proceeding that the organization followed all the rules of their ASM contract.

“None of the literature connected with the [ASM grant], nothing on the contract that we signed, nothing in the meeting, stated that we were not allowed to use [ASM money] for election activities,” Hammer said.

Leonard said the issue of whether or not the rule had been written in the contract was not relevant. He said what is important is that the organization used the funding illegally.

“Our concern is that funds were used in the election, not with ASM overlooking the contract of funding,” Leonard said.

Hammer said the group followed the regular procedure for registering a student organization and was honest about its purpose every step of the way.

“We never lied, we never misrepresented our group and we were never subversive,” Hammer said. “We were honest throughout the entire process.”

Hammer also indicated the group’s activities were not clearly election-related.

“Our activities were not known by the candidate, a fact that caused the SEC themselves not to disqualify Mr. Earl from a position on ASM, and for the SEC chair to declare the event a ‘non-issue,'” Hammer said.

Leonard said the goal of the proceeding was to have the issue cleared up by the court, not to have the money repaid.

“Our goal is to have a precedent set by the court and have it on record,” Leonard said. “The remedy is not as important. We want to make sure it does not happen again.”

Leonard said the whole issue is a conflict of interest, since ASM grants should not go toward ASM campaigns.

The Student Judiciary could take up to two weeks to decide on the case. The losing side will then have five days to appeal the decision.