Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Candidates clash over ASM laptop

A complaint filed against the For Accessibility Community and Empowerment of Students slate by current members of the Associated Students of Madison was dropped by the Student Judiciary Committee Saturday, allowing all FACES members to remain on the ballot for today’s student government election.

The complaint, filed by Student Services Finance Committee Chair Carl Fergus and SSFC Representative Tyler Junger, accused Kyle Szarzynski — a current member of ASM who is on the FACES slate — of violating a campaigning rule stating no ASM equipment can be used for campaigning.

According to Junger, the computer history of one of the ASM laptops showed a member of the FACES campaign had uploaded a flyer to publicize one of the slate’s fundraisers.

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Since the flyer would publicize for a fundraiser to raise money for the entire slate, Junger and Fergus proposed every member of the slate be removed from the ballot.

“The entire slate benefits from the entire fundraiser giving them an unfair advantage,” Junger said. “It’s a violation of election rules. … The slate should be removed from the ballot.”

Though Junger and Fergus acknowledged they were not certain Szarzynski was responsible for using the computer, they added that Szarzynski is the only other person other than themselves with keys to the ASM office.

A post on the “forward thinking” FACES website, which Junger and Fergus say can only be accessed by Szarzynski, during the same session the flyer was uploaded led them to make this accusation.

Szarzynski, who is also a Badger Herald columnist, acknowledged having the computer in his possession during the time the flyer was uploaded, though denied doing it himself.

Szarzynski refused to say who did the uploading.

“The important thing is the flyer was not constructed on the laptop. It was downloaded from an e-mail and that is why the file shows up in brackets on the computer,” Szarzynski said.

Szarzynski added the complaint was dropped because Junger and Fergus had no tangible evidence the flyer was used to promote the fundraising event.

“It was just a rough draft and that’s why the individuals who filed the complaint couldn’t find a copy, that’s why it’s frivolous because no actual copy of that flyer was ever used to promote the fundraising event,” Szarzynski said.

Szarzynski added that although the case was dropped, he suspected some political motivations were behind the complaint.

“Considering Tyler Junger is running, advocating that half the L&S candidates be removed clears the way for his own election, so I think [the Student Judiciary Committee] realized it’s a conflict of interest, so they decided to drop it,” Szarzynski said.

Junger denied these claims, saying he simply encouraged enforcement of ASM rules.

Junger also said though he will happily face his opponents in today’s election, he does not agree with many of their ideologies.

“I think having a difference is a good thing, but it should stay within the confines of the rule,” Junger said.

The Associated Students of Madison elections will take place Monday to Wednesday of this week electronically at www.asm.wisc.edu.

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