Jered Mansell administrative vp candidate

Zipp's campaign manager accused of tearing down Mansell sign last month

ASUA administrative vice presidential candidate Samantha Zipp will be fined $10 because her campaign manager allegedly tore down one of her opponent's campaign fliers.

Current Associated Students of the University of Arizona Sen. Jered Mansell, Zipp's opponent in the race, filed a written complaint to Elections Commissioner Joe Rogers on Feb. 18 stating that he observed Zipp, her campaign manager and another girl he could not identify tearing two to three of his advertisements from the kiosk in front of the Social Sciences building.

Zipp said her campaign manager Nicole Wright did indeed tear down signs advertising Mansell, but she denied involvement in the act.

Zipp added that she was in her Jeep near the kiosk when the incident occurred. She said that when she got out of the Jeep and approached the kiosk she heard a "ripping sound."

Samantha Zipp administrative vp candidate

At the same time, Mansell was walking to a forum at Yavapai Residence Hall, which is located across the street from the kiosk.

Zipp said he approached her and her campaign manager and said, "Joe (Rogers is) gonna love this one."

Mansell said at that point, he made the decision to file the complaint.

Rogers told Zipp that she had to remove all of her fliers from the kiosk.

Zipp said she did not instruct her campaign manager to take Mansell's signs down. She said aside from telling Wright to "please not do that again" - she took no other disciplinary action.

She said after the incident, she attempted to talk to Mansell, saying that she was an outsider to ASUA and was not trying to break the rules.

Zipp said Mansell told her he had read his election code cover-to-cover and suggested that she do the same.

After the incident, Zipp said she filed two complaints of her own against Mansell.

Zipp said that Mansell campaigned at a UA Basketball game because the hat he wore with his campaign sign was larger than a "sandwich board," which ASUA elections codes prohibit.

But Mansell said he had the hat cleared by Rogers before wearing it.

Tailianna Kattan, assistant elections commissioner, said there were only two other reports of ASUA candidates' signs being torn down, but no action could be taken because no one reported seeing the signs taken down.

She said the fee would normally be $40, but after Rogers was called to duty by the National Guard last Wednesday, there was a delay in assessing the fee.

When Kattan realized that Zipp was to be fined she lowered the fine to $10 because it was so late in the campaign. Administrative vice president candidates are allow to spend $265 on their campaigns and the $10 would be deducted from that amount.

Zipp said Kattan has contacted her by e-mail and informed her of the fee.

ASUA elections began yesterday and will continue through 8 p.m. today. To vote, go to http://www.asua.arizona.edu.